PERMACULTURE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM

KICKSTART YOUR FARM THE RIGHT WAY AND PRODUCE ORGANIC-EVERYTHING FROM THE GET-GO, WITHOUT COSTLY MISTAKES THAT SET YOU BACK YEARS…

… BECAUSE LIFE IS TOO SHORT NOT TO ENJOY YOUR FARM AND EVEN SHORTER IF YOU’RE FORCED TO EAT SUPERMARKET FOOD!

Five years ago, one of my students (Rob), bought 5 acres in Vermont to start a permaculture property. Around the same time, a former permaculture certificate classmate of mine (Daniel) bought 10 acres in the regional part of Victoria, Australia to do the same.

They were similar in many ways:

  • Both wanted to manage their land in a more enlightened way, but neither had any hands-on experience farming.
  • Both worked a day job. They hadn’t made the switch to full time farming.
  • And both were regular people, not permaculture celebrities. They didn’t have a massive team or hundreds of unpaid interns. They’d be managing the farm on their own with nobody to help.

 But within a year, those similarities disappeared.

Rob cleared the whole site from the scrub that was growing there, planted a permaculture garden, and started soil improvement works in the future food forest area.

Daniel had a PDC, 24 permaculture reference books on the shelf, graduation certificates from 3 online courses, but nothing real on the ground.

Now, 5 years later, Rob is the proud owner of a fully-functioning permaculture paradise with a food forest and annual gardens. He recently sent me a photo of his family sitting at a table outside the farmhouse, laughing, teasing each other, and eating the bounty of food they produced on the property. 

And Daniel is still a dreamer with big ideas, no resources and no results, forced to eat supermarket food.

Zero to Permaculture Produce vs Still Eating Supermarket Food:
What Made The Difference?

Have you ever wondered what makes this kind of difference in people’s progress towards their permaculture dreams? I know I have.

It isn’t that Rob was young and at his physical peak, while Daniel was cresting 60. (They were roughly the same age.)

It isn’t that Rob grew up on a farm, with years of hands-on experience, driving tractors since he learned how to walk, and Daniel didn’t. (Neither came from an agriculture background.) 

It isn’t that Rob had ideal farming conditions (climate, soils, water, terrain) and Daniel didn’t. (If anything, Daniel had the better plot.) 

The difference is actually much simpler: 

Daniel was overwhelmed with options, so he kept READING about permaculture to get clarity. Rob wasn’t, so he IMPLEMENTED permaculture.

Let’s look at how that played out over 5 years…

Time-Lapse: 5 Years of Overwhelm

IN YEAR 1, Daniel was overwhelmed by the prospect of starting from scratch.

He had received a PDC a few years back, an online course with Geoff Lawton, and he’d read a lot of books on permaculture and food forests, but he still didn’t know where to begin… what to do concretely (eg. swales or not?)…  the practical steps of what to do next… 

There were just so many options, it was stultifying!

He had all these stacks of papers and computer files, he flipped through his books, but he was still unsure. Before long, he got sucked into analysis paralysis and went down the “I need more input” rabbit hole.

Daniel had been hoping to see small incremental progress that would keep him motivated to continue to move forward. Instead, he felt so overwhelmed that he just wanted to scratch the whole idea and shop at Woolworths!

IN YEAR 2, Daniel resolved to stop reading about permaculture and start implementing it. He resolved to take action. Because doing something is better than doing nothing – right?

And everybody in permaculture talks about swales, right? He’d start there.

Ten months later, he realised that swales don’t work well for him at all (his site is too steep, and he has too much rainfall throughout the year). He spent a lot of time, energy and $$ to find that out. Ended up getting into a huge argument with The Wife, also known in some circles as She Who Is Not Pleased With Dwindling Savings.

But this was his dream. He would not give up so easily…

IN YEAR 3, Daniel planned to  start an annual garden (something he should’ve done in year 1), but got off track because other demands kept popping up as distractions. House renovation projects needed attention, young children needed attention,  mains water pipes burst and needed attention…

Determined to finish something before the year ended, he began clearing the forest to make room for a sheep pasture. But there was a LOT of forest and the enormity of that task made him realise he needed a plan. Thus passed another year, without results…

YEAR 4. Frustrated by his lack of progress, Daniel made lots of rushed, poorly thought decisions. 

He bought a bunch of bare root trees in late winter that needed to be in the ground before spring kicked in. But the thing is, he didn’t know where to plant them precisely as he didn’t take the time to plan the design, so he selected a spot randomly in the worst possible microclimate. Half the trees died.

He also jumped the gun and got a milking cow to at least produce some milk for his family, but his fences weren’t ready, so she kept running away until he got around to building a fenced-off area for the lonely animal.

If only he’d known what to do first, second etc for his farm, he could have avoided all these consequences… 

YEAR 5. Looking back, this is what Daniel saw:

Wasted time on swales, arguments with wife, not much accomplished after 5 years, distractions popped up and got side-tracked. And on the ground, a sad picture: swales half collapsed from excess rainwater, a few trees planted and wilting, a stinky compost pile, eroded access ways. Twenty projects half completed. Zero results.

Meanwhile Rob was making steady, visible progress towards his permaculture dream…

Time-Lapse: 5 Years of of Incremental Progress

Rob kickstarted his farm by establishing key permaculture systems on his land.

IN YEAR 1, Rob planted an annual garden to grow veggies for his family, cleared the native shrubbery to make room for a perennial orchard, and sowed cover crops to build organic matter and improve soil fertility.

By the end of Year 1; the soil of his future food forest was fertile enough to support the first bare-root trees and shrubs to be planted. And he had his first crop: 50kg of potatoes, 15kg of carrots, 20kg of onions, 10kg of leafy nutritious greens!

It was the best year of his life because healthy organic food for his family had always been a major goal. His wife was a breast cancer survivor and she intended to stay that way!

IN YEAR 2, Rob planted a perennial herb garden, planted initial patches of his food forest with a combination of nitrogen-fixing trees and fruit trees and shrubs, all while expanding his annual garden production by building a greenhouse to extend his growing season. 

He had an overall plan for the year: a framework to work to that told him exactly what to do month by month. So he spread the load and bit off manageable chunks with his limited time.

By the end of Year 2; he had a steady supply of medicinal herbs for potential ailments, a newly established food forest patch filled with fruits and soon-to-be-producing berries, and he was now supplying  50% of everything his family ate from his permaculture garden.

As a couple, Rob and his wife had been dreaming of this for years and wanted to see it actually happen! They were determined to care for this small area of the world and nurture it.

IN YEAR 3, Rob focused on increasing the fertility of his garden and food forest. He established composting systems with hot compost bins, worm farms, and fungal compost piles to be more self-sufficient in inputs. He maintained the food forest by applying soil amendments and fertilizers, foliar sprays, compost teas, and fungal composts. And to boost the productivity of his gardens he supplied nutrients via compost, amendments, compost teas, and green manure crops.

By the end of Year 3; he had a closed-loop system for producing the compost he needed for his permaculture gardens, his food forest was growing vigorously, and his permaculture garden was already growing all the food for his family and others staying there.

Farming to Rob has always been his act to save the world and bring healthy nutrition back into the food system. And he was succeeding!

IN YEAR 4, Rob decided to expand his food forest by establishing a nut grove, so he installed swales and planted trees in a new area of his farm while continuing the yearly maintenance tasks that boost the fertility and productivity of his existing systems.

By the end of Year 4; he had a sizable new stand of trees in the ground, and his food forest started to yield berries and fruits. The couple was now self-sufficient in regards to fruit and veggies for not just themselves, but their future grandchildren and even THEIR in-laws!

IN YEAR 5, Rob added infrastructure for processing and storage to commercialize some of his food production since he had a surplus of everything. He improved the fertility of his growing systems with biofertilizers and holistic liquid sprays, fine-tuning the production cycles.

By the end of Year 5; he was producing all the fruit, berries, medicinal plants, and vegetables he could consume, he had a food forest and a garden that were easy to keep up, and a side income from selling extra produce and value-added products.  

Best part? He felt secure about his family’s future: 

He was now producing his own food, had extra cash to invest into the farm, and a nut grove as insurance for challenging times ahead (it will yield a crop in about 10 years, planting a nut orchard is a long-term investment).  

His family had a flourishing environment, medicinal plants, and food free from chemicals to keep them healthy. 

Rob knew that even in his retirement years the system would be easy to maintain and produce income.

In just five short years, Rob became 80% self-sufficient in food and produced almost everything his family needed without harming the planet. 

He had dreamt of it for years, and now he was well on the way to achieving it: a pastoral paradise where his family could live a healthy life in harmony with nature. 

He was no longer a man with a dream. He was the man who made his dream come true. An inspiration to others. 

He gave back to the community by creating a sustainable farm and gardens for others to learn and enjoy. He taught children about where their food comes from, how to farm/garden sustainably, and how to be self-sufficient.

Now imagine if you could emulate Rob’s success instead of Daniel’s frustration. Wouldn’t that be great?

As it turns out, there is a step-by-step implementation system you can use to kickstart your permaculture property and produce organic everything from the get-go, without costly mistakes that set you back years…

… and today I’m going to share with you what that is.

But first, you may be wondering, “How’d you figure all this out, William?”

WHO AM I TO TELL YOU ABOUT FARMING AND LIFE IN GENERAL?

Hi, I’m William Horvath, a father, farmer, small-business owner, permaculture designer, blogger, creator of Permaculture Apprentice… I wear many hats and juggle many plates.

A big chunk of my time goes into creating content for my website and helping novice permaculture farmers and homesteaders. Over 160,000 people read the website every year (1 million+ website visitors in the last 5 years), and more than 26,000 have signed up to our newsletter.

This has been very rewarding because I’ve helped thousands of people live a more sustainable and self-reliant lifestyle. And they were able to go from absolute beginnings to implementing the first practical steps in establishing their dream lifestyle.

But when I’m not working as a teacher/consultant/content creator I still have a farm to run with many different farming projects, moving pieces and obligations. Oh, and did I mention other life responsibilities such as family to take care of, and to my mind, this always comes first…

The demand on my time is incredible and naturally, when juggling so many things, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and then fall behind on various farm projects, miss out on seasonal deadlines and then have to wait for the next year. This has always been a source of frustration in my farming life and the “brakes” slowing my progress.

So I’ve been forced to constantly think about time-management, efficiency and how to achieve the best results for the least effort. 

When you’re a solo farmer like me, it’s almost impossible to shut out distractions and start executing in the midst of competing interests which are also important (family, fixing up the house, job to pay off a mortgage etc). 

Like most people, I remember finding the “implementation” phase the most challenging, especially on raw land. 

There was so much to achieve once I got to this stage of the design process (seven years ago) that I struggled with deciding what should be done first.  Soil improvements for example take time to become fully active, so I wanted to do that early on, yet water and structures are normally done first.

The PDC teaches you a lot about layout and soil care, but what I feel it doesn’t teach you much about, is what to prioritize during development, what to invest in in the first few years, and details of growing either orchards, pasture, annuals, and vegetable gardens.

Details can make a huge economic difference in your first years, and I would have really appreciated reading about other farmers’ mistakes and growing advice…

The biggest things I needed help with were timeframes or expectations around the development of a functional permaculture farm.

As a solo farmer, a father, a husband… I realised early on that I needed a system to keep me on task if I was going to get ANYTHING done on the farm.. 

I realized that if I had a yearly plan and a month-by-month list of permaculture farming tasks in front of me, with quick-start guides at my fingertips, my life would be so much easier. 

For instance, I would be able to plan in advance, do things on time, in a proper way, and not lose sleep over encroaching deadlines. (I’d even know in advance when I can plan to take a few days away and not miss an important harvest!) So this led me to researching, extracting, and compiling various bits and pieces of theory and practice about permaculture implementation And the end result is now something tangible, concrete and always relevant that I’ll be using year after year so that I can make the best use of my precious and limited time, money and energy!

There are a lot of voices in Permaculture and sustainable agriculture these days, but I’ve never found one more reliable, insightful and useful as William Horvath and Permaculture Apprentice. The way that he connects the dots from a wide variety of progressive practices such as holistic grazing, food forestry, keyline earthworks and many more, can only come from someone who has put them into practice through experimentation and constant observation.

Oliver Goshey

Author, Consultant, Natural Builder, Abundant Edge, LLC

When I first opened PermacultureApprentice.com, I was blown away that I hadn’t discovered it earlier! William’s ability to distill the teachings and experimentation of the permaculture greats has allowed a new generation of regenerative farmers and designers to take permaculture to the next level. Working with William is a joy, because he brings a lighthearted curiosity to his core focus: helping you succeed.”

Pete Widin

Artisan Environments, LLC

I’m not sharing this to brag… 

I’m sharing this to prove to you that I’m not some permaculture celebrity who has dozens of unpaid minions (excuse me: interns) helping out on the farm or a treasure hoard to invest into expensive equipment.

The truth is, I build my permaculture projects systematically and as a solo farmer – and I know I can teach you how to do it too.

“Right, come talk to me when you are doing this alone when you are pushing 60!”

“Have to say that is one of the things I love about what you say and do.  YOU are doing it. That is very encouraging and inspiring. There are a lot of educational programs out there. A lot of people are showing how to do things the permaculture way. However many of them also have dozens of younger strong men helping. Gals are also in these ‘classes’  

I just have to laugh and say right come talk to me when you are doing this alone when you are pushing 60! You are not going to be building that with a shovel. If I didn’t have my tractor we wouldn’t be as far along as we are. Physically we just couldn’t do some things or it would take 4 times as long. 

Then there is a lack of understanding that for every system or project you complete, that then needs to be maintained. No matter the minimal time it may take or how you streamline chores it still takes time. That time takes away from building new systems or projects. So the more you grow the slower growth and progress can happen.”

– Danelle R.

“I’ve been following William for a few years now and am so grateful to him for all the work he’s done putting this together. William, Joel Salatin, and of course the late Bill M and his trusty right-hand man Geoff Lawton have been my gurus ever since I started studying Permaculture and other forms of sustainable systems.

– Steve V.

Why Your Progress on the Farm Stalls in Year 2

Let’s be honest, everyone has big permaculture plans when the season starts.

I’ll sort out the gardens, orchards, compost piles, earthworks, renovate that garage, build that greenhouse…

And you enthusiastically start all these different projects, all at the same time, stretching yourself thin, overworking and putting extreme pressure on yourself and your relationships.

Then, eventually, despite your best efforts, enthusiasm and goodwill, things just don’t go as planned.

At some point, you start falling behind, overwhelmed by everything you still need to do, until you are forced to throw in the towel, saying: “well, that’ll just have to wait until next year!”

I know, in an ideal world, we would already have our fully-functioning permaculture farm or homestead.

…swales hydrating the landscape, food forests producing an abundance of fruits and nuts, soil teeming with life, gardens full of produce…

And the quicker we can get to that, the quicker we can enjoy the abundance, the freedom, the security, and the peace of mind. The math there is fairly simple…

But practically getting there, that’s a bit complicated because of that inconvenience known as life.

​​“Well, that’ll just have to wait until next year!”

We all love farming, being outdoors and the agrarian lifestyle, it’s our calling. Ultimately, the dream is to have beyond-organically grown everything, long-term energy/food/financial independence and a farm that makes others go green (as it were) with envy …

The biggest challenge in achieving that is not necessarily having the money, but actually living a life: having a family, an off-farm job that pays bills, a social life… and then finding enough time left over to do anything substantial on the farm.

There’s simply not enough hours in the day, days in a week, weeks in a month to do everything that needs to be done in order to establish that permaculture farm in the timeline you were originally hoping for.

If you could only quit everything else and just devote your full time to the farm, obviously that would be the optimal solution, but then how would you pay the mortgage, still have your marriage and the kids around you, keep your social network…

The reality for most of us is that we’re developing our farms on our own, with our limited time and budget. The resources and manpower are always going to be scarce.

So how can you have a life and despite everything still achieve your big farming goals?

The answer lies in breaking the work up into manageable chunks, prioritizing, knowing WHAT to execute and WHEN, sticking to a pre-planned schedule, and being effective at what you do!

That’s the only way to realistically achieve what you want with what you have and speed up your farm development.

Because if you prioritise the wrong projects and miss out on important planting/management/maintenance/establishment deadlines, you fall behind and then have to wait for the next year!

Realistically, making progress with your farm development in today’s world is more crucial than ever before….

Why you can’t afford to miss another year

I personally feel that there isn’t that much time left for living the life we’re all used to today. It’s a gut feeling but one that’s backed up with a ton of research.

If you’re reading this you probably have that feeling as well. You can see that there are a lot of things wrong with our society and consequently there will be some major changes headed our way.

I think we can all agree they are coming sooner rather than later, and today there are many concerning developments that all point to a future that will look drastically different:

CLIMATE CHAOS

Unless we as a society make dramatic changes, we’re most certainly headed for climate catastrophe in some form.

If current trends continue, by 2040, the recent IPCC report predicts there could be global food shortages, the inundation of coastal cities and a refugee crisis that will make the current ones look small-scale in comparison.

That means you might no longer find everyday staple crops when you go into the supermarket… You might have to stay with your in-laws (or even live on the streets!)  for months because you can’t find any place to rent due to overdemand… And during all this you’ll be on your own as nobody from the government’s social services will be picking their phone to help you out.

Avoiding that scale of suffering requires such a thorough transformation of the world’s economy, agriculture, and culture in a way that “there is no documented historical precedent.”

The next 10 years, and the actions we take (or not take) will determine the severity of the situation.

GEOPOLITICAL INSTABILITY   

Western liberal democracy and neoliberal capitalism have spectacularly failed to make the world a better place.

Instead of the peace, harmony, and prosperity that we were all hoping for, what we see today are increasing international tensions between countries and domestically between the people themselves.

The great American empire is falling, crumbling before our eyes, descending into cultural/ideological/political war that has historically always been a clear sign of the last stages of a falling empire. All while China, as a new superpower with a questionable agenda, rises to challenge the old and drunk Uncle Sam.

This battle of civilizations can last for decades, taking down many collateral casualties with it, mostly in terms of livelihoods of ordinary hardworking people who just want to live their lives normally.

Imagine a future where you might get lynched on the street because of your political affiliations, lose your business because of a trade war, or left without electricity for days because of a cyber attack…

On the world stage, things have only started to escalate and have a long way to go still.

THE GROWING POLICE STATE  

If this pandemic has shown anything to the world’s elites in power, it’s that people will willingly sacrifice their freedoms for safety. Actually, because of the fear that got instilled into them by mainstream media, they’ll demand protection from the government, who then gladly puts more population control infrastructure in place.  

The problem with all these “temporary” security measures is that they are here to stay, permanently.  The government won’t voluntarily dismantle the surveillance infrastructure and laws that it finds so useful in controlling the populace. There’ll always be dangerous contagious viruses out there, as well as other threats, such as civil disobedience, for example.

So everything we readily accept in the name of safety becomes the norm and just the way things are from now on.

Drones flying over our heads to check suspicious gatherings, surveillance cameras controlling social distancing, robodog patrolling public parks, contact tracing apps, massive house arrests, wristbands to monitor movement, “digital certificate” or covid health pass so you are able to travel around, mandatory vaccines…

As we descend further down this dystopian path, the question is: where does it end? 

Soon the only place where you’ll be able to live freely, have the liberty to socialize with as many people as you want, and have any degree of privacy might be your farm or homestead. Far away from any CCTV’s, oppressing public servants, and people who call you a conspiracy theorist for having an opinion that goes against the mainstream.

THE NEXT GREAT DEPRESSION        

Economists warn that due to the massive economic hit caused by the pandemic, we’ll soon face another worldwide financial crisis much greater than the already devastating Financial Crisis of 2008.

Before the pandemic, we were already at the tipping point. All the ingredients for another major recession were already there: interest rates near zero, sluggish economic growth, asset prices at all-time high bubble levels.

COVID-19 was just the pin that popped the bubble and accelerated the economic crash.

As it stands currently, it’s not a matter of whether the economy will crash or not, it’s only a matter of when and with what economic consequences it will have for us ordinary people.

Right now, we are at the economic equivalent of the time between earthquake and tsunami. The earthquake was the pandemic and the shutdown/lockdowns, and the tsunami is on the horizon. With high inflation, supply chain disruptions, and high energy costs, the tsunami siren warning system is screaming. 

Soon, due to all the disruptions and the astonishing amount of money printed by central banks worldwide, we could find ourselves in a situation where one month’s salary can’t buy five days’ groceries because of hyperinflation (as is now happening in Venezuela).

THE HUNGER GAMES SOCIETY   

We live in dangerous times, where the top 0.1% hold the same amount of wealth as the bottom 90%.

Even more jaw-dropping is the fact that the world’s 26 richest people have the same wealth as the poorest 50%.

This staggering inequality has never ended peacefully! The last time the world saw the same inequality was before WWII.

Just consider what’s been happening since 2020.

People are out of jobs, businesses are out of business, so how will they pay their rents? There is a massive migration of people moving out of big cities, so how are cities to raise taxes when there are fewer people to tax?

The ordinary people and small to medium businesses struggle while the big businesses are getting the ‘printed money handouts’ and capture increasing market share. The real economy is suffering while the stock market is at all times high, and thus inequality grows.

This rising inequality and social polarization will lead to more social unrest, political extremism, and the militarization of the police. When the time of ultimate distress arrives, the political elites and the top 1% will simply retreat to their gated compounds or their luxury fallout shelters and the rest of us will be left to fend for ourselves.

So we need to act quickly and prepare for some rough years as there isn’t much time until people finally have enough and things start to escalate with protests and riots.

The Farm/Homestead Is Your Insurance Against the Coming Storm…

I believe that your ability to weather the financial storm is in direct proportion to how many productive systems you have in place on your permaculture property.

As Rob Avis would say the farm is your insurance, and acts as a hedge against whatever might be coming… especially in the age of economic and political upheaval, civil unrest, food supply disruptions, and mass unemployment.

To survive the next financial crisis, we need to become as self-sufficient as possible..ideally within a community of likeminded people.

This was always the case, and it will only be exacerbated in the coming age of pandemics. (Covid-19 was just the beginning – deforestation is still on the rise, increasing human exposure to viruses and bacteria that can make cross-species jumps.)

We know this from our own lived-in experience back in 2020:

Remember how supermarkets ran out of stuff when the pandemic hit?

If the lockdowns and border closures had continued unabated for a full year, two years, three… countries that are net-importers of food like Sweden, the UK, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Japan would have starved.

That experience was a very rude awakening for the entire world: there will come a time in the near future when you won’t be able to BUY food – no matter how much money you have.

Of course we permaculturists are way ahead of the “worry-curve”. Most of us have been worried about the food security of our families for years or even decades.

That’s why we got into permaculture.

That’s why we want that ecologically resilient homestead, that self-sufficient permaculture property, that abundant food forest…

Now is the time to stop dreaming the dream and have something materialise from it.

Whatever You Do, Avoid These 7 Permaculture Implementation Mistakes That Set You Back Years

After listening to the stories of 26,000 email subscribers and over a thousand students, I’ve come to the conclusion that most permaculture properties fail because of the same seven mistakes.

And it makes my blood boil because the permaculture education community is almost actively encouraging you to make these mistakes!

Mistake #1. Choosing projects that are not suitable for your age and physical condition 

Ever seen those YouTube videos where they are digging swales by hand? 

I’m sorry, I know it looks great on camera but you are not going to be building that with a shovel when you are doing this alone when you are pushing 60! 

It completely ignores the reality that for some people permaculture is a retirement project. To quote my student Danelle: “If I didn’t have my tractor we wouldn’t be as far along as we are. Physically we just couldn’t do some things or it would take 4 times as long.”  

When you’re in your 20’s, you probably have more energy (and to be brutally honest: time left on Earth) than you have funds. So certain types of permaculture projects make sense. 

When you’re older, the opposite is true. 

Therefore, you need to choose the right projects. For example, focus on lower-maintenance projects that will produce into your retirement years…

You also need to use the right tools. For example, tractors over hand-shovels when you are digging swales… 

Finally, know enough to supervise. For example, if you decide to hire help or get your children to lend you a hand. 

As one student points out: “In the past, I’ve struggled with getting hired help to do the necessary work because they are used to working differently and I can’t tell them EXACTLY how to do it if I don’t know myself!”

“It’s very very important for me to learn how to do as much as I can as fast as I can.  I’m 50 and I myself am running out of time too.

Bill S.

Mistake #2. Being intimidated because you didn’t grow up on a farm and have no idea how to use tractors or their myriad attachments 

Good news? You’re not alone.

I hear this all the time from my students:

“I’m not young.  I just retired from a business career and I don’t come from an agriculture background, so at times I’m in shock.” – Mark H.

“One impediment for me – I didn’t grow up on a farm and have no idea how to use tractors or all their myriad attachments. It’s intimidating. I feel like a tractor might be needed if tackling a large plot by oneself… And nobody has “Tractor 101” classes.” – Keralee M.

So that was the good news. Now let me give you even better news:

I can teach you how to get from zero to functioning permaculture property without fancy equipment costing thousands of dollars. 

Imagine having implementation instructions for every task, so you can execute permaculture projects correctly even if you have little to no farming or gardening experience!

“If you are missing years of hands-on experience, William’s course helps you get the confidence you need to make your own mistakes. In the end, nothing beats hands-on experience and this course helps you get there!

Eric G. B.

Mistake #3. Modeling your implementation after celebrity farms (which are “sustainable” only because they have hundreds of unpaid interns helping out behind-the-curtain)

Please don’t buy into the myth that you’ll use free unpaid labor when developing your permaculture property. Like you have probably seen permaculture celebrities do.

It might help you to kickstart things, but in the long term it’s not sustainable and it’s potentially dangerous for a solo farmer/homesteader to establish systems that depend on so much outside free labor.

What are you going to do when for some reason (such as…let’s say a pandemic) people stop coming, and you can’t find volunteers or interns?

Let’s be honest, then you’d have a huge management and maintenance issue on your hands and your dream farm could turn into a nightmare.

And at any rate, as subscriber Naomi points out:“The reality for most of us not having access to loads of volunteer labour and getting paid like a superstar for our books and teaching.”

That’s why you need systems and tasks you can implement as a one-person show (even if you aren’t young).

“RIGHT, COME TALK TO ME WHEN YOU’RE DOING THIS ALONE! ”

Have to say that is one of the things I love about what you say and do.  YOU are doing it. That is very encouraging and inspiring.

There are a lot of educational programs out there. A lot of people are showing how to do things the permaculture way. However many of them also have dozens of younger strong men helping.

I just have to laugh and say right come talk to me when you are doing this alone when you are pushing 60!  (…)

Then there is a lack of understanding that for every system or project you complete that then needs to be maintained. No matter the minimal time it may take or how you streamline chores it still takes time. That time takes away from building new systems or projects. So the more you grow the slower growth and progress can happen.

– Dannele R.

“I’M AN ENGINEER AND I PREFER REALITY NOT FANTASY.”

I have been on the fence regarding a PDC for a few reasons

  • Expense
  • Time
  • Concern regarding the direction the PDC will take.

I’m an engineer and I prefer reality not fantasy. I want to prepare for my next property and get the skills and methodology to create a permaculture farm. I will not have a massive team to assist me, it will be me. 

I have been following you for almost 4 years and I relate to your approach. I thought your program would give me the most bang for my buck.

It gives me a framework to develop my skills. My current home will be a small scale test bed so when we move in a few years I’m ready for the real project.​​

Philip J.

“THE REALITY IS: MOST OF US DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO LOADS OF VOLUNTEER LABOUR AND GET PAID LIKE A SUPERSTAR FOR OUR BOOKS AND TEACHING”

I really appreciate all that you put out into the world. I have found the calendar (I supported the starter edition) a very helpful and organised tool, and now you’ve expanded the material significantly! I completely missed the early bird deadline (inbox overload), but sat down to open up a few of your emails today. I started with the email about taboos and was nodding vigorously in agreement about the reality for most of us not having access to loads of volunteer labour and getting paid like a superstar for our books and teaching – I interned at Ridgedale in 2015 (I’m actually in a couple of photos in Making Small Farms Work, and a few of the photos are actually mine and other interns, but Richard claims copyright over all of the photos – hmm), did a PDC with Ben Falk and was at Zaytuna Farm for a food forests course and Geoff’s interns taught most of it!

Thank you! And again thank you for all your efforts, your service and for being genuine!

Naomi D. V.

Mistake #4. Letting another year pass by because you are overwhelmed with everything you need to learn and do

As my student Wendy so succinctly puts it:

“Over the past 7-8 years I have taken online courses in permaculture from Cornell as well as other sustainable farming courses from UMass Amherst. 

The cost of these classes per course were approximately $600 and in the end, I received so much information that I had no idea how to implement all of it. 

At this point, I think I have a good understanding of the principles of permaculture, but get hung up on which ones to do first and when – so that leads to your “analysis paralysis”.  Then I do nothing and another year passes.”

If you find it overwhelming to get started because you know that every mistake costs years and dollars that are already scarce on the ground…

If you read many books, and ended up with spaghetti brain…

Then what you need is a schedule and a plan, with concrete steps, so you can stop reading about permaculture, and instead start implementing permaculture. 

Something to help you stay on top of the unending to-do list. Knowing what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. Not missing important opportunities to do things (eg planting windows). 

And this kind of “turn-key process” is exactly what I created for you.

“WALK ME THROUGH THE STEPS AND ORGANISE MY THOUGHTS”

I am tired of READING about permaculture and instead want to start IMPLEMENTING permaculture.

That’s why the opportunity to have a calendar to walk me through the steps and to organize my thoughts was highly desirable.  I also have asked my farm manager to sign up, so he can follow the course and calendar as well.

-Wendy H.

“STEP BY STEP GUIDE TO LEAD ME THROUGH THE DAUNTING PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTATION”

I bought the course because I have experienced a lot of analysis paralysis in the last year regarding implementation of my design goals. Since I had such a positive experience with your permaculture design course I trusted that I would also get my money’s worth out of this course.

It will help me put my design into action in a practical way that avoids the common pitfalls of implementation. I am excited to have a step-by-step guide leading me through the daunting process of implementation in a financially responsible way.

Morgan S.

Mistake #5. Choosing projects that are impossible to complete when you have a day job

You can see a lot of people taking on intensive projects like building residential and farm structures, but that’s a terrible idea until you’re actually farming full time. Building requires time and resources, and you won’t have anything left for other things on your farm.

Instead, I want to focus you on the essential tasks that will get your farm started, growing, and flourishing while you continue to work your other job until you can make the switch to full-time farming.

(And once you make the switch, then you can dip into the more advanced roadmaps inside the program.)

“HELPS FOCUS YOU ON THE ESSENTIAL TASKS AND SCHEDULE THEM”

“(…) I would let them know that the course helps focus on the essentials. 

When it comes down to implementation, the PDC training tends to leave people with too many options on what can be done. On top of that, we make the mistake of checking for solutions online and finding too many solutions. 

What this course does is help you focus on the bare essential tasks and how to schedule them. After that is done one can start to think about peculiar design elements.”

-Eric G. B.

“HOW TO TRANSITION FROM MY JOB INTO A 100% PERMACULTURE LIFE”

This is the system I need to help me move forward in understanding how to transition from my current job into a 100% permaculture life. 

That way I can go to my wife and say, I have to do this, that and the other so that we can have this, that and the other so that we can earn this, that and the other (…) 

My wife is still very doubtful about changing our lifestyle, while I cannot stand another minute of it, and yet I have not been able to convince her. 

I am not a social media person, so I need to focus more on physical product production. I need to have a more concrete understanding of how to move forward, there is not a lot of support in the place that I live.

-Erik G.B.

“LOVED ALL THE TIME SAVING THINGS YOU’VE BUILT INTO THE PROGRAM!”

I’m excited about all the potential time saving things you have built into the program that will help me get our farm started, growing and flourishing, while I continue to work my other job until I can make the switch to full time farming.

In our personal lives, my wife and I are all about what we put in, on and around our body. With starting a farm, I want to farm in the way that God intended, and let nature do what nature does best.

Permaculture seems to encompass a lot of principles that we apply to our lives, so it makes sense to apply it to my land.  I have been reading your emails for a few months now, and have gone through a lot of your free materials, and the content is very thorough and fantastic. When I saw this program, I thought it would be a great tool to get started with farming/gardening and create a flourishing garden to fulfill my dream of owning my own farm/business. For $197, the investment seemed nominal for the amount of content that looks like the program provides.

Thomas M.

“I DON’T HAVE A LOT OF TIME FOR THE FARM AS I WORK FULL-TIME IN THE CITY”

I don’t have a lot of time for the farm as I work full time in the city, but I do have to make decisions every year and I figured I might as well get the Permaculture Implementation Programme to help me out even if I will not be able to go through the whole thing yet.

-Catarina R. P.

Mistake #6. Choosing projects aimed at farmers with huge plots

Joseph hits the nail on the head:

“I’m worried that the majority of the content will be aimed at farmers with a larger plot. I want to create a homestead that takes advantage of the land and introduces balance and regeneration. Do I have enough Earth to make this a reality?”

You don’t need to have a huge plot of land to provide food for your family and have a surplus. For the commercial type of the operation, huge plots of land under production make sense. But for producing enough food to be food self-sufficient, all you need is ½ an acre to an acre.

Instead of going bigger in scale, and spreading yourself thin, make sure that you have productively utilized areas for your food forests and gardens.

And that is exactly what my system will help you do.

Mistake #7. Doing things in a hurry because you’re feeling pressured by limited time 

Now, I understand, it’s completely natural that in the face of all these challenges, feeling pressured by the limited time, most of us want to get things sorted out as quickly as possible.

As the days of the growing season start to count down to zero, the race is on, and there are nature’s deadlines and planting windows when things ought to be done.

But with a million things on your plate, it’s far too easy to get side-tracked and then do things at the last moment without any real plan, recklessly, in the name of just doing something, anything.

This is a recipe for a disaster… 

The chances are… by doing things in a hurry and not being prepared you’ve done a poor job that will entail further setbacks in the long run. 

The worst thing is, it could take several years until you find out that things won’t pan out the way you initially imagined. 

For example, suppose it’s March 11th.

You only have four weeks to plant bare-root trees, because, by the end of April, the warm spring weather will kick in and wake up the dormant bare root plants. So you rush out and start digging some holes in the ground.

But in your hurry, you don’t realize that you planted them in the spot that gets overly wet and soggy during the late fall and winter months.

The problem is…

The week you planted your trees, everything was fine. The following week everything is fine. And during spring, summer, and early fall months, trees are growing beyond your expectations.

You don’t realize the mistake until next year when you start to notice that your trees aren’t growing the way they should and begin to look sickly and anemic. The stagnating water has created anaerobic conditions in the soil over the winter and caused the roots to die off.

You have thrown away your time, money and labor in vain and honestly, if you want to make a go at permaculture farming, you won’t get that many more chances. You have to make every year count.

Not just because you might be 60 and now you have only 10 more seasons left in life but also because, as I said above, the world economy, society, and environment may drastically change in the next year or so, and then you’ll be forced to abandon your dream because there is no functioning farm to fall back on as your safety net.

So yes, we need to start getting things done but when you do something you want to do it right the first time, do it efficiently, build it to last and make sure that all the time, money, and labor you’ve spent was worthwhile.

“I DON’T WANT TO REINVENT THE WHEEL BY MYSELF”

There is a long road to achieve this goal of food security and there will be quite a few blunders to be made, questions to be asked and new terrain to explore. So why not grab hold of any source of information that can steer me clear of the bumps on this path!

I’m 58 years old and don’t want to have to reinvent the wheel by myself.

Your course came along just when I’m in the process of moving from the Netherlands to Portugal to buy a piece of land and build a small-scale Permaculture farm.

Steve V.

“IF ONLY I HAD THIS COURSE 4 YEARS AGO!”

I bought the course because in our haste to do *something* we did some things without a proper plan.  Now we have a design for our 5 acres and I am wishing I’d done some things differently. Not type 1 errors, but just me wishing I’d paid more attention to certain things.  We’re struggling to keep trees alive.  Our soil is rocky and drains fast so I need to figure out how to not only add soil, but water retention.  

​​For the most part, I know WHAT I need to do but having a step-by-step guide that tells me WHEN I need to do those things will save me a lot of time and mistakes.

Erin L.

So what can you do to avoid all these mistakes?

You need to know WHAT to do (the correct projects), WHEN to do it (planting windows and optimal months for each project) and HOW to do it (implementation instructions)…

… so you don’t waste your money and more importantly time on projects that won’t produce the yields you need.

And well, that’s where my new course will come in handy…

It’s your personalised roadmap for the year, with exact steps you should take. Everything is plug-and-play, customised to YOUR site context, and ready to take you from zero to functioning farm without expensive equipment. 

You won’t have to fight the chaos of an endless to-do list…

Because you’ll have your own yearly plan: a personalized roadmap that prioritises and plans your farm year efficiently and realistically, so that the right things get done on time. It will tell you exactly what you need to prioritise, what projects to tackle first, and what to leave out… 

You won’t have to worry about missing nature’s deadlines…

Because you’ll have a permaculture calendar that reminds you of those deadlines – AND pinpoints the BEST time to do each task, so you can work with nature to speed up your development. 

You won’t have to worry about making amateur mistakes that set you back years…

Because you’ll have implementation guides to execute permaculture projects correctly even if you have zero farming/gardening experience. 

And that’s why I’m PUMPED to introduce you to a brand new online programme.

Over the last seven years that I’ve been running my website and consulting/designing business, I’ve helped thousands of people kickstart their permaculture property and ramp up their food production.

Now I’d like to show you the exact system I use to do it.

“Distilled thousands of hours of research to actionable tasks”

We are a busy family and found we were spending a TON of time researching timing and techniques. Your course offers us a way to shortcut all that extra time and not miss planting deadlines. 

-Andrea H. J., Permaculture Implementation Programme Graduate

 You have distilled thousands of hours of research down to the actions that when taken will ensure you are working in accordance with the principles of permaculture. In other words, you have saved me so much time in trying to figure it all out by myself.

-Evan G., Permaculture Implementation Programme Graduate

You have done a great job in dividing up the complexity of permaculture into bite size and easily manageable steps. 

-Johnathan J., Permaculture Implementation Programme Graduate

INTRODUCING THE PERMACULTURE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM

THE WORLD’S FIRST MONTH-BY-MONTH PRACTICAL PERMACULTURE CALENDAR, GUIDE AND IMPLEMENTATION SYSTEM

If you’re a permaculture farmer or homesteader who is starting out with your property development and you long for practical guidance on implementation and a monthly calendar so you know exactly WHAT to do and WHEN, then you’re in the right place.

This is a system for land owners who want to kickstart their permaculture property development and achieve food security twice as fast and with less effort, without killing themselves from overwork, neglecting their family and always falling behind the schedule.

Because everyone wants a fully-functioning permaculture property yesterday, yet nobody wants to work themselves to death to get there.

With this system, you won’t always be late, falling behind, and doing a poor job of implementing things… eventually being forced to wait for the next year, and the next year, and the year after that…

Nobody likes setbacks, so why not implement your permaculture projects this year, the way they should be from the outset, and move faster to your ultimate goal of a permaculture abundance for you and your family?

Make this the year you stop dreaming the dream and finally have something materialise from it!

Is Permaculture Implementation Program Right For You?

Now you might be wondering, “Is PIP right for me?”

If you can say “YES” to any of these questions…

… I believe you’re PERFECT for the course:

  • Are you trying to get your farm started, growing and flourishing, while you continue to work your dayjob until you can make the switch to full time farming?

  • Do you have land you want to turn into a permaculture farm or homestead? (Maybe you recently took over your family farm and you hope to manage the property in a more enlightened way. Maybe you just bought a rural property.) 

  • Are you overwhelmed? (You understand the theory but you’re lost on how to implement it practically. This is something you wanted to do but you know every mistake costs years and dollars that are already scarce on the ground)

  • Do you have lots of unfinished projects? (You’re looking for structure as you are exactly at the point where you’re looking at 20 projects half completed.) 

  • Are you a busy family and find that you’re spending a TON of time researching timing and techniques?

  • You prefer reality to fantasy. You know you won’t have a massive team to assist or hundreds of young unpaid interns, it will be you.

Sounds like you?

Good.

Let me walk you through everything you’ll learn inside the Permaculture Implementation Programme, and what makes it different from other permaculture courses…

“I bought the course because you very succinctly captured the feeling of being overwhelmed; of having an understanding of theory but being lost on how to implement it practically; of knowing that this is something I wanted to do but also knowing that every mistake costs years and dollars that are already scarce on the ground. I felt so understood by that, I figured you would be able to speak to it in a way that helped.”

– Henry R.

“I bought the system because I need to understand how to transition from my current job into a 100% permaculture life. That way I can go to my wife and say, I have to do this, that and the other so that we can have this, that and the other so that we can earn this, that and the other (…) My wife is still very doubtful about changing our lifestyle, while I cannot stand another minute of it, and yet I have not been able to convince her. So  I need to have a more concrete understanding of how to move forward, there is not a lot of support in the place that I live. (…) “

– Erik G. B.

“I bought the course because I have about 1400 m2 facing south and no plan.”

– Charley B.

“Having just bought a rural property, the time has come to put all the things I learned (PDC, landscape design, horticulture, edible weeds…) into practice!”

–  Marlène M.

Recently took over our family farm (cattle ranch historically), and I hope to manage the property in a more enlightened way. The property has been leased out for grazing rights for the past 10 years or so and has seen nothing but grazing since 1950.  I’m not young.  I just retired from a business career and I don’t come from an agriculture background, so at times I’m in shock. I bought the course because I was excited to find a roadmap to jumpstart my implementation.”

– Mark H.

 You have distilled thousands of hours of research down to the actions that when taken will ensure you are working in accordance with the principles of permaculture. In other words, you have saved me so much time in trying to figure it all out by myself.

-Evan G., Permaculture Implementation Programme Graduate

Here’s Exactly What’s Included in the Course:

The program has 4 modules:

  • #1) THE BIG PICTURE which gives you an overview of the hands-on work required to kickstart your permaculture systems and grow food an abundance of healthy food

     

  • #2) YEARLY PLAN which outlines WHAT to do this year (and in which order) to kickstart your farm and ramp up your food production

     

  • #3) PERMACULTURE IMPLEMENTATION CALENDAR which tells you exactly WHEN to do the WHAT, so that you never miss nature’s deadlines and can get the greatest yields for the inputs you invest by working with natural cycles (rather than flailing against them!)

     

  • #4) IMPLEMENTATION GUIDES which explain HOW to do the WHAT. Written, printable, step-by-step instructions/spreadsheets/checklists for each of the tasks from the yearly plan. These are packaged as “quick-start” and “get ready” guides so that you can do things right the first time, without being overwhelmed by information.

… plus! You get a bonus FARMER’S VAULT with an ever-growing database of useful farm setup resources and contractors.

Once you join you’ll receive immediate access to all of the programme materials. Then, no matter what time of the year it is, you can start planning your year, using the calendar and its instructions and start implementing the practical steps that will put you on the road to the permaculture paradise you’ve always dreamed of having.

Unlike other permaculture courses, the Permaculture Implementation Program always stays relevant. It’s not one of those one-off, “use it now or lose it” things. As the seasons keep changing you’ll be always planning the current and next year, implementing, maintaining, making optimal use of the available resources… 

To the best of my knowledge, there is nothing similar to this anywhere to be found on this planet, online or offline…

“Staying on top of the unending to do list. Knowing what to do, when to do it and how to do it. Not missing important opportunities to do things. This was a godsend!”

– Beth D.

“I work full time at a job that often demands 60+ hours in the spring and the fall.  Being more organized will help tremendously.”

– Aaron R.

Here’s exactly how the PIP system works:

Click the video above to take a guided “VIP Tour” of Permaculture Implementation Program

MODULE #1: THE BIG PICTURE

– THE IDEAL WORKFLOW AND TIMEFRAMES TO ESTABLISH THE FOOD GROWING SYSTEMS OF YOUR PERMACULTURE PROPERTY –

“I am tired of READING about permaculture and instead want to start IMPLEMENTING permaculture.”

One of the biggest problems people have with permaculture is drowning in too much theory.

We get excited by the prospect of food forests, garden farming, water earthworks, soil regeneration, or whatever else, and then start consuming theory out there on the internet and in the real world.

We read and listen and watch and take PDC’s and workshops, and for sure, it’s fascinating and world-changing information, but at some point, the constant learning becomes almost too much to bear.

Due to the sheer amount of it and lack of clarity, it creates a mental mess in our heads.

I understand the frustration of drowning in permaculture theory and not having a clear idea on what to do. That’s why in Module 1 of the PIP, I want to give you an overview of the hands-on work required to start your successful permaculture farm and homestead

You’ll learn specifically what you’ll need to do, step-by-step, phase-by-phase, big picture-wise, to start producing high-quality food. And I’ll also set some expectations around the development of these systems and timeframes so that you have an idea of how many years it might take you to get it all working.

“TOOK THE PDC BEFORE THIS, WAS OVERWHELMING TO GET STARTED!”

I received a PDC a few years back, an online course with Geoff Lawton, and I’ve read a lot of books on Permaculture and food forests, but it is overwhelming to get started. Having a schedule and a plan, as you have advertised, seemed like a good way to start.

-Rich W.

“The course is very good so far. I completed my PDC last year and was looking for something like this.”

– Mariane L.

MODULE #2: YOUR YEARLY PLAN

GET YOUR PERSONALIZED ROADMAP FOR THE YEAR WITH EXACT STEPS YOU SHOULD TAKE

“I need a strong plan with phases.”

We mapped out the exact yearly plan you should follow this year to kickstart your farm this year and ramp up your production every growing season thereafter.

Think of this as the game plan that shows you what route to take, what you need to prioritize, what projects to tackle first, and what to leave out. 

Say goodbye to analysis paralysis and instantly know what to prioritise when developing your farm: 

“How do I prioritise? I’m afraid of spending my time and money on things that aren’t that important, and wearing myself (and any help I get from friends and family) out. I want to make sure that what I do spend time (and money) on is worthwhile.” 

If you are stuck in analysis paralysis, this yearly plan can help you avoid common mistakes and prioritise projects that really bring in the yields.

For example, if you’ve just completed your PDC training this year and now the challenge is “What next? Which projects should I now start with?”, this plan is going to be the panacea to that headache.

Ever said to yourself “I need a strong plan with phases”? This is that plan. 

The yearly plan (aka your personalized roadmap) is split into two categories: growing a food forest and growing annual gardens. And it showcases the exact tasks you need to take in establishing these systems, in what order, and pinpoint the timing for these tasks.

Yearly plans for which projects exactly? 

In this edition of the PIP it’s all about growing food, so examples of yearly plans include food forest maintenance, starting a garden from scratch, establishing a food forest with/without swales from scratch.

You get access to 15 different yearly plans, 2 about establishing an annual garden, and 13 about establishing a food forest, for all types of climates, except the arid ones:

All climates

  • New garden yearly plan
  • Existing garden yearly plan
  • Food forest maintenance yearly plan

Temperate climates (oceanic, continental, boreal)

  • Yearly plan for the establishment of food forest with swales(spring planting)
  • Yearly plan for the establishment of food forest with swales (fall planting)
  • Yearly plan for the establishment of food forest w/o earthworks (spring planting)
  • Yearly plan for the establishment of food forest w/o earthworks(fall planting)
  • Yearly plan for the establishment of food forest with terraces (spring planting)
  • Yearly plan for the establishment of food forest with terraces(fall planting)
  • Yearly plan for the establishment of food forest with sub-surface drains (spring planting)
  • Yearly plan for the establishment of food forest with sub-surface drains (fall planting)

Mediterranian or Subtropical climates

  • Yearly plan for the establishment of food forest with swales(winter planting)
  • Yearly plan for the establishment of food forest w/o earthworks (winter planting)
  • Yearly plan for the establishment of food forest with terraces (winter planting)
  • Yearly plan for the establishment of food forest with sub-surface drains (winter planting)

Notice that we cover all kinds of different scenarios with the yearly plans based on the type of water management strategy your site needs, the planting window you are aiming for, and the climate you find yourself in.

Also, in addition to yearly plans detailing how to establish food forests and annual gardens, there are also yearly plans explaining how to maintain them so that you can ramp up production year after year. 

These maintenance yearly plans allow you to identify maintenance tasks and monitor your growing systems so that you’re always on top of everything and in due time.

…because if you can’t properly maintain what you started the passion turns into drudgery and ultimately becomes a burden… Plus, you know, the garden just dies. 😅 

Which yearly plan is the right one for you? 

The exact roadmap you should follow depends on your context, so that’s why we created a matchmaking quiz that will recommend the correct yearly plan for your context.

You’ll use the quiz whenever you are uncertain about what to do next in your food forest or permaculture garden establishment and maintenance. 

And by answering the quiz questions by referencing your situation, you’ll get your personalized roadmap for the year, with exact steps you should take.

How each yearly plan is structured:

First, in the Intro section, you’ll get an overview of the yearly plan and required steps so that you understand what it’s used for and why.

Following this, there’ll be a ‘reality check’ section to ensure that this is the right plan for you. Based on your context, your personalized yearly plan might look different from the one I’m showing you here (there are 15 plans in total), so the reality check will ensure you are not implementing the wrong plan.

Underneath, there’ll be a when/timing section explaining the proposed timing of the tasks and ideal dates to execute the tasks according to your climate

We’ll also break down the execution of the tasks according to the big picture overview I gave you in the last module to always have that 10,000-foot view of the situation. 

I’ll also explain what to do if you miss out on the ideal timing or if, for some reason, you aren’t starting at the outset of the year, and I’ll show you how to reference the permaculture calendar for your specific climate.

Then you get to the exact step-by-step plan you should follow in year 1 of your food forest establishment. In this particular scenario, we are talking about a food forest with swales and planting everything in the fall. So this plan consists of nine steps executed in this specific order. 

Each task from the plan has a summary of what you’ll need to do and what your objective is. It will also have the ideal timing and how much time approximately it might take you to execute it. 

And then, once you are ready to start executing, there’ll be links to the implementation guides that will take you to the step-by-step instructions of HOW to do it.

If you are unclear about any of the steps or have questions, there will be a comment section below the yearly plan where you can leave your comments.

Finally, we prepared a checklist for you that you can download by clicking this link. This will open a spreadsheet with summaries of what to do and when so that you can keep note of your to-do’s and progress.

“20 PROJECTS HALF COMPLETED? THIS IS FOR YOU!”

I am looking for structure as I am exactly at the point where I’m looking at 20 projects half completed.

-Joseph G.

“DON’T HAVE TO FIGURE IT OUT MYSELF!”

You have distilled thousands of hours of research down to the actions that when taken will ensure you are working in accordance with the principles of permaculture. In other words, you have saved me so much time in trying to figure it all out by myself.

-Evan G.

“GREATLY REDUCES OVERWHELM”

To have the information gathered and synthesized by you, William, is tremendously time-saving and greatly reduces the mental “overwhelm”.

-Sister Maria

MODULE #3: IMPLEMENTATION GUIDES

— EXECUTE PERMACULTURE PROJECTS CORRECTLY (EVEN IF YOU HAVE LITTLE TO NO FARMING OR GARDENING EXPERIENCE) —

“I need implementation instructions that are as simple as possible, and can get me from zero to functioning farm without fancy equipment costing thousands of dollars”

One of the challenges of Permaculture is that it straddles so many different disciplines, from biology, ecology, landscape design, agriculture, geology, to hydrology and others…and consequently there are extremely numerous & diverse skills required to launch a permaculture farm or homestead.

Nobody has time to learn everything they would like, or find interesting, or even find important, as that takes significant googling hours, studying permaculture literature and then trialing it in practice.

So when you start a new permaculture project, you often feel out of your depth and overwhelmed with everything the project entails.

The solution to this is to get a recipe for how to do something right, do it, and learn through that experience. This helps you avoid all the googling, studying, and eventually reinventing the wheel. You just study the task at hand instead of trying to learn everything just in case you need it one day.

In this module, you’ll get these recipes – aka: Implementation Guides. Think of these as step-by-step instructions for a specific task. They outline the exact practical things you’ll need to do with your hands and give you clear instructions for it so you can implement permaculture projects correctly even if you lack farming experience. 

You can print out these guides as paper documents or access them on your tablet or smartphone and use them as your reference, on- and offsite, both prior to starting and when doing the actual work.

Guides for which tasks exactly?

This edition of the PIC comes with 29 implementation guides covering all the tasks necessary to establish your gardens and food forests:

  • Install Swales
  • Summer Cover cropping
  • Bare root planting
  • Test the soil
  • Survey the site
  • Apply compost tea
  • Measure tree growth
  • Add soil amendments and fertilizers
  • Foliar Feeding
  • Mulching
  • Spread Fungal Compost
  • Staking out the layout
  • Site Clearing
  • Plan the food forest
  • Food Forest with swales layout 
  • Food Forest w/o swales layout 
  • Initial Garden Prep
  • Fall/Winter Garden Prep
  • Choose a garden location
  • General garden care
  • Harvesting
  • Planting
  • Sow Green Manure Crops
  • Plan the garden 
  • Garden prep 
  • Garden design
  • Sheet mulching
  • Build Terraces
  • Drainage Earthworks

In addition to that you’ll get access to Implementation Guides Library with ALL the implementation guides that I have created thus far, which expand implementation advice beyond the primary focus of this edition of the PIC.

How the implementation guides are structured:

The guides have introductory information explaining what the task is all about, giving you a better understanding about the task at hand.

They give you a checklist of what you’ll need for the task, the list of equipment/tools, and materials. And if applicable give you a direct link where to source things from the list.

I’ve also included, where I had some data, an estimated time required to perform the task so you have some sort of an idea about the time commitment.

Then you get the step-by-step how-to, no fluff, just straight-up practical instructions on what exactly to do with your hand and tools.  

This is condensed information sourced from multiple books, websites, podcasts, personal experience all boiled down to the most important bits of information.

Some guides will also have additional spreadsheets to help you with the planning and logistics of the tasks so in some cases there will be more to the guide than you see on the page. These spreadsheets are easily integrated with your yearly plan and calendar, so that you can build a farm management dashboard where you have everything you manage in one spot.

I’ve also included additional resources such as videos, relevant books, articles, PDF’s you can dig into to further your knowledge about the task at hand.

No fancy equipment necessary!

Now, the best thing about these guides is that they show you the easiest way to do a task. 

Although I do outline how to do things in different ways based on the tools/equipment you might have, you don’t need any fancy equipment to implement what I’m teaching you here. I’ll always include the simplest way on how to implement something.

And if you at any time have any questions or need help with any of the steps or the implementation of the whole task, there is a discussion forum under each of these guides where you can leave your comment for me.

“NO NEED TO GOOGLE THINGS”

If I want to tell something about this course to close friends, I will tell them that there is no need to take part in any educational plan or googling. It provides every basic thing that everyone needs for transformation.

-Milad A.

“LOVE HAVING A GO-TO RESOURCE FOR A SPECIFIC PROJECT. WILL PAY FOR ITSELF IN ONE PROJECT!”

I like the idea of having a go to resource for a specific project. Society likes monoculture because it is simple. A person needs to know about one thing–a multiple system approach requires an infinite amount of knowledge. Intellectually interesting but very difficult to decide what to tackle when. I think the price is right, it will pay for itself in one project.

-Carole B.

“INSTRUCTIONS FOR TASKS, DIRECTLY LINKED TO THE CALENDAR”

The deciding factor for me was when you showed that there would be instructions for the task and even better, directly linked to the calendar. 

-Ms Dialed

MODULE #4: YOUR MONTH-BY-MONTH PERMACULTURE CALENDAR

ALWAYS BE PREPARED IN ADVANCE AND NEVER MISS OUT ON THE IMPORTANT PLANTING/MANAGEMENT/MAINTENANCE/ESTABLISHMENT TIMES OF THE YEAR

“I need a calendar of events and reminders for what needs to happen to help with all the confusion that is constantly in my head…”

Compared to normal people we permaculture farmers tend to think differently about changing seasons.

Where ordinary people see yellow fallen leaves on the ground simply as a sign of fall coming, we on the other hand are reminded of a narrow window when certain farming tasks ought to be done.

The mind starts buzzing with thousands of thoughts, ideas, and to-do’s about getting plants, sowing seeds, planting, harvesting, improving the soil for the next season, preparing for winter… 

With so many competing things to do it’s far too easy to lose track of what you should be doing, when, and how. The chaos slowly creeps in and it starts to be a complete mess in the head.

Now imagine a different scenario…

You still have your thousands of thoughts, ideas, and to-do’s… BUT now you have a pre-planned schedule, a calendar that tells you when each of your farming tasks should be performed. 

No matter how many competing tasks you might have, they are anchored to specific weeks and months and you don’t get overwhelmed and miss nature’s deadlines. 

You simply follow the calendar for your climate zone and you know what to expect, when to start preparing, and what to focus your attention on and at what time. 

This month-by-month permaculture calendar forms the backbone of the programme. It comes in the form of an online and offline spreadsheet and printable PDF document where each of the important yearly permaculture tasks is mapped to the corresponding month.

 

Image above: Temperate climate calendar

There are seven permaculture implementation calendars in total covering temperate zone climates (oceanic, continental, mediterranean, subtropical, and boreal) of both hemispheres.

  • Temperate: NH? – check.
  • Temperate: SH? – check.
  • Subtropical: NH? – check. 
  • Subtropical: SH? – check. 
  • Mediterranean: NH? – check. 
  • Mediterranean: SH? – check. 
  • Boreal? – check. 

So if you live in Australia, South Africa, South America, or anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere we got you covered. The calendars will be reversed for your part of the world.

Looking at the calendar you’ll know months in advance what to prepare for, when to start planning, when exactly a specific task should be done, the deadlines and windows you shouldn’t miss, which tasks are recurring, and much more. All of the tasks are categorized, labeled with colors, and will be hyperlinked to the corresponding set of instructions/protocols/guides.

You can also make your personalised copy of the calendar, and then add/remove/move tasks as you wish…

How does the calendar integrate with the yearly plan and implementation guides?

First, I give you a simplified calendar that maps out the best months to do each project from your yearly plan for your climate zone.

Each of the tasks on this “Jumpstart Calendar” is interlinked with appropriate implementation guides. So once you click on any of the tasks, it takes you to the webpage with the step-by-step instructions.

This calendar feature enables you to do things on your farm much faster and work simply and effectively without being overwhelmed by information.

Second, I also give you an “advanced” permaculture implementation calendar, which has more than 120 tasks mapped out across the whole year.

This functions as a “forever calendar” you will always come back to. 

“Great, I finished Project X from the Yearly Plan early and I have two weeks free before Project Y starts. What should I do next? What other tasks are optimal for this time of the year?”

Third, you can also make your personalised copy of the calendar, and then add/remove/move tasks as you wish. This master sheet could therefore act as a central platform for planning your projects, noting down your observations and monitoring your farm.

Note that you can use the calendar on your computer, smartphone or tablet and access it from anywhere, whenever you need it. Whether you’re in your office and you want to do some monthly planning, you’re on the site digging holes and you need instructions on planting, or you’re in the forest and need to know how to collect mycorrhizal mushroom spores, you’ll never feel lost and unsure of your next stage again!

“I AM GOING TO START CRYING OVER HOW BEAUTIFUL THE CALENDARS ARE. EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR!”

Dear William, 

I am going to start crying over how beautiful your calendars are, they are exactly what I was looking for. Thank you very much. 

-Eric G.B.

“HELPED STRUCTURE MY PLANNING!”

If I were to tell something about this course to close friends, I suppose what I’d want them to know is how helpful it has been for me to help me structure my planning process.

I’m working hard to complete worksheets and to add some functionality as I go, and I’m glad the system allows that flexibility.

-Mark H.

“I REALLY LOVE THE CALENDAR MODEL”

I really love the calendar model you’ve created and the links are some of its best features, in my opinion, as the information is accessible directly from the calendar itself. I’m looking forward to using it more this year. I’m also going to try and save a local copy where I can customize it to specific plants I am growing.

-Lorraine A.

BONUS: Permaculture Farmer’s Vault

AN EVER-GROWING DATABASE OF USEFUL FARM SETUP RESOURCES AND CONTRACTORS

This is the PIP logistics center. In here, you’ll find numerous resources to help you with the logistics of executing your projects, from farm setup working documents, worksheets that expand calendar functionality, lists of contacts and suppliers, various other databases…

I just finished creating a networking database of people who’ve opted into a private directory to find and be found by others. Here you can browse the directory and perhaps discover a like-minded permaculturist who is in your neighborhood, town, city, or region.

As I keep improving the programme, I’ll be adding new features and unique bonuses here!

HOW TO USE THIS SYSTEM

The learning flow of this program is to first go through the big picture overview lesson first, then the yearly plan lesson, then implementation guides and finally a yearly calendar. (Click below to watch a 2-min. demo on how to use the system)

First you focus your attention on THE BIG PICTURE. This will be your starting point as you’ll get an overview of everything you need to do to kickstart your food production.

Once you understand the big picture, and what type of projects you’ll need to focus on and prioritize, you then move to the YEARLY PLAN, where you’ll get a personalised roadmap with exact steps you should take, all adapted to your context.

With the personalized roadmap in your hands, you then move to the IMPLEMENTATION GUIDES, where you’ll get access to step-by-step instructions on how to execute each project from your yearly plan.

Then you move to the PERMACULTURE IMPLEMENTATION CALENDAR. Here you’ll create your own editable copy that you’ll use during the implementation process. You’ll be referring to it on a day-to-day basis and it will be your guide in timing your projects.

With the implementation calendar completed and ready to use, you are all set to get your hands dirty. You can now start implementing on-site…

…because life is too short not to enjoy your dream permaculture property and even shorter if you’re forced to eat supermarket food…

If You Have A Question…
You’re Only One Click Away From An Answer

When you join the course you’re not just getting access to the course materials, you’re getting personal support from me and from my growing Permaculture Conversion community.

If you ever feel stuck at any point and need some help, you can email me or post your question in the private group and we’ll get you the answers you need.

You’re not on your own on this journey, and by investing into this course you will receive personal support if you need it and you get to leverage the insight and wisdom of others before you make that big decision.

“A COMMUNITY TO SHARE OUR WINS AND WOES WITH!”

We are excited about the opportunity to have a living community to share our wins and woes with. 

-Andrea H. J.

“GREAT IF YOU DON’T HAVE A PERMACULTURE COMMUNITY CLOSEBY”

I find it hard to develop interconnected relationships with people through permaculture beyond a surface level. The most enthusiastic people seem to be so far away and we are busy in our own efforts that it’s hard to spare enough time away from them and the immediate neighbours lack much of the consistency in interest”

-Braden H.

GET INSTANT, LIFETIME ACCESS TO THE COURSE FOR ONLY $397 (or 5 instalments of $95)

The Big Picture Overview

Phase-by-phase overview of the hands-on work required to kickstart your permaculture farm or homestead and grow healthy food.

Yearly Plan

The exact gameplan to follow this year (and every growing season thereafter).

Implementation Guides

Step-by-step instructions, planning spreadsheets and checklists for each project.

Permaculture Calendar

Month-by-month permaculture calendar that shows the optimal start and end times of each project for your climate zone.

Permaculture Conversion Community

Private Facebook and Telegram Group community where you can ask questions and get feedback on your implementation projects.

Farmer's Vault:

An ever-growing database of useful farm setup resources and directories.

Kickstart your permaculture property and produce organic-everything…

 $USD397

 

Pay in full and save 16%

5 monthly installments of $USD95

(Just $95 today)

“WOW WHAT A PROGRAM! I WOULD HAVE SAVED SO MUCH TIME, MONEY, STRESS, AND ARGUMENTS WITH HUBBY HAD WE HAD THIS BACK WHEN WE FIRST STARTED!”

WOW what a program!  I would have saved so much time money stress and arguments with hubby had we had this way back when we first started.  That is my first impression after my first quick run through.  

I can see where this program can help us in the here and now. Even though we are planning on moving.  It will help with the new place as well. I won’t have to have all those stacks of papers and computer files then flipping through all those books.  You are spot on with how easy it is to get sucked into analysis paralysis. It’s so easy to go down the “I need more input” rabbit hole. Still you don’t really know until you get your hands dirty. 

I was very very impressed that you also have “no swale” information. Swales don’t work well for me at all. Spent a lot of time, energy and $$ to find that out. I had questioned doing it but so many were saying it’s the best. Um no not here. They just don’t work well for all the reasons you stated.  Had I had this program back then I would not have put them in. 

-Danelle R.

— YOU CAN TRY OUT THE PERMACULTURE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAMME (RISK-FREE) FOR 365 DAYS! —

YEAR-LONG “START IMPLEMENTING” GUARANTEE

Maybe you’re on the fence, because you find that oftentimes you spend more time accumulating reference materials than you do actually reading through all of the information.

Or let’s say you’ve been a good student and actually consumed all the information you’ve bought:

You completed a PDC a few years back, an online course with Geoff Lawton, and read a lot of books on Permaculture and food forests, and in the end received so much information that you had no idea how to implement all of it. Ended up with spaghetti brain. 

At this point you have a good understanding of the principles of permaculture, but get hung up on which ones to do first and when. It is overwhelming to get started. There are so many options . . . it can be stultifying. Then you do nothing and another year passes.

Risk: What if you buy this programme but it becomes just another theoretical layer, and gets you no closer to a functioning permaculture property?

Guarantee: With this product, you will stop READING about permaculture and instead start IMPLEMENTING permaculture – or your money back. 

Put us to the test! Try Permaculture Implementation Programme for 1 year, risk-free. If it doesn’t deliver on this promise, refund it before the 366th day and we’ll give you a full refund.

To be eligible for the Start Implementing Guarantee, you must have:

  • 15 min | Completed the Yearly Plan Quiz (Module 3) which will guide you, based on your answers, to your personalised roadmap for the year, with the exact steps you should take; and
  • 1 min | Printed that yearly plan and pinned it above your desk; and
  • 15 min |Attempt at least one Quick Win Task from the monthly challenges we run in the group 

Make this the year you stop dreaming the dream and finally have something materialise from it!

HOW YOUR LIFE IS ABOUT TO CHANGE – HERE’S MY PROMISE TO YOU…

Want to kickstart your farm and achieve food security… yesterday? 

Want to get an idea of how many years it would take to get the farm working (which right now is probably completely in the blue)? 

Want to know exactly WHAT to implement WHEN and HOW so you don’t waste your money and more importantly time on projects that won’t produce the yields you need? 

Then YOU are in the right place, and the Permaculture Implementation Program system is the answer to all your prayers… Read on…                             

With this system you will be able to:

  • Prioritize and plan your farm year efficiently and realistically, so that the right things get done on time
  • Know exactly WHAT to do (and HOW) when implementing your design and setting up your farm, so you never waste your limited time and actually have visible results to show for your efforts
  • Identify WHEN is the best time do each permaculture project, so you can work with nature to speed up your development, rather than struggle against it

And you’ll avoid:

  • Doing half-assed jobs just in the name of doing something
  • Spreading yourself thin because you have too much on your plate
  • Implementing things incorrectly, and having to ripping them out later
  • Always being late and missing out on nature’s deadlines, having to wait for the next year, feeling defeated and ashamed that things are not going as fast as you would like…

Because now:

  • You’ll be ready months in advance, reminded in due time and eagerly waiting to smash that project on the first try
  • You’ll break the work down into manageable chunks and keep on task (instead of tackling several things at once and failing to complete any of them)   
  • You’ll execute everything on time, speed up your farm’s development, and finally feel satisfied with the progress you’re making

And you’ll be able to do all this WITHOUT:

  • Hundreds of unpaid interns
  • Fancy farm equipment costing tens of thousands of dollars
  • Ideal farming conditions (climate, soils, water, terrain..)

This system will work for you EVEN IF:

  • You have limited farming/gardening experience
  • You feel overwhelmed with everything you need to do
  • You and your partner are both currently working full time jobs away from the farm and only really have weekends to spare at this stage

Make this the year you stop dreaming the dream, and finally have something materialise from it!

GET INSTANT, LIFETIME ACCESS TO THE COURSE FOR ONLY $397 (or 5 instalments of $95)

The Big Picture Overview

Phase-by-phase overview of the hands-on work required to kickstart your permaculture farm or homestead and grow healthy food.

Yearly Plan

The exact gameplan to follow this year (and every growing season thereafter).

Implementation Guides

Step-by-step instructions, planning spreadsheets and checklists for each project.

Permaculture Calendar

Month-by-month permaculture calendar that shows the optimal start and end times of each project for your climate zone.

Permaculture Conversion Community

Private Facebook and Telegram Group community where you can ask questions and get feedback on your implementation projects.

Farmer's Vault:

An ever-growing database of useful farm setup resources and directories.

Kickstart your permaculture property and produce organic-everything…

 $USD397

 

Pay in full and save 16%

5 monthly installments of $USD95

(Just $95 today)

>>TESTIMONIALS<<

HERE’s WHAT OTHER PERMACULTURE EXPERTS HAD TO SAY ABOUT MY WORK

Williams content is a “go to” resource for anyone wanting to build freedom for themselves by establishing their own self reliant systems. In my opinion, he is overly generous with his all inclusive, hands on, step by step instructional material. Any contribution whether it be time, money and/or energy for his information will certainly yield 10-100Xs your investment.

Justin Rhodes

Abundant Permaculture

If you need serious and thoughtful help on planning your homestead, look to William for the answers. Don’t mess around. Let him teach you and you’ll grow like you’ve never grown before.

David The Good

The Survival Gardener

There are a lot of voices in Permacultre and sustainable agriculture these days, but I’ve never found one more reliable, insightful and useful as William Horvath and Permaculture Apprentice. The way that he connects the dots from a wide variety of progressive practices such as holistic grazing, food forestry, keyline earthworks and many more, can only come from someone who has put them into practice through experimentation and constant observation.

Oliver Goshey

Author, Consultant, Natural Builder, Regenerative Skills

HERE’s WHAT MY STUDENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE COURSES I MAKE

If you have never heard of me or any of my courses, then please read some of the success stories below.

All of these people were struggling with their designs and implementation, overwhelmed with the information. Some of them even had multiple PDCs, but my courses helped them to put everything into structured manageable steps and take action.

After taking two PDC’s that were amazing and life changing, I felt overwhelmed and intimidated with all of the information. While I understood most of the concepts, when it came down to actually applying them, I had no clue where or how to start.

William’s course breaks everything down in layman’s terms and gives a clear step by step process that will give you the confidence to take action.

Stephanie Madeline

Student

I have done other courses in permaculture and have experienced information overload at times with no idea which foot to put before the other to get started with my own farm.

William’s course gave me a step by step action plan but above all in a logical uncomplicated language that I can follow and I don’t feel lost!

Brian Casey

Student

Your course is by far the BEST I mean the VERY BEST!! I have ever taken. I have taken 4 PDC courses and yours made much more sense to me. It was the glue that brought everything together. If I had not taken the other courses it would have been fine. Yours gave me everything that I was looking for in a way I can understand and work. You have uniquely combined ALL learning styles in one fast easy simple fully packed course.

Danelle Downer

Student

THANK YOU so much for the course.

As I get older, I’m not as strong as before. That’s why it’s important to me to invest my time, energy and money into proven effective practices.

I am excited that at last, I found this course as it gave me a practical plan to follow. Thanks so much for sharing your practical knowledge on permaculture.

Alma Yusingco

Student

HERE’s WHAT MY CONSULTING CLIENTS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT WORKING 1:1 WITH ME:

Last Easter I was lucky enough to assist to a restoration agriculture worshop held by ZMAG and conducted by Mark Shepard in Croatia. Mark always pointed out that we must “Know Our Biome”. At the beginning I only thought about the biologic part of that concept, ignoring its human/social aspect. I had to admit that this approach never gave me good results. Every time I was about to achieve something a new set of obstacles appeared in front of me. I was on the verge of giving up.

In the workshop I had the chance to meet great people and one of them was kind enough to help me with my project, someone who has taught me that knowing your goals is the easy part while finding the means to achieve those goals is usually the challenging part of it. He is the one who shares my vision and knows how to “Get Shit Done.

Thank you William Horvath.

Borja

Consulting Client

I think there is a lot of value in working with William. Especially if you are just starting out, but even if you have tried some of these steps on your own, projects can always be clearer. I came out with more confidence in what I had already identified, but also clarified details on what I had not yet figured out.

(…)Consuming material on these subjects is one thing, but talking about it with someone who has experience is a whole different level. When I can ask questions and it’s all about my property, as opposed to learning something generally and then trying to apply it to my situation, its much easier and quicker to get moving forward.

Darren F.

Consulting client

TESTIMONIALS FOR THE PERMACULTURE IMPLEMENTATION CALENDAR PROGRAM:

If you still haven’t decided if this is the right investment, check out what these graduates had to say:

This is probably the best organized and most instructionally sound training in the domain”

  • “This is probably the best organized and most instructionally sound training in the domain that I’ve seen. I can also say the guides are formatted well with robust quality for a beginner gardener.” David M.

“It’s a great idea, well executed. I’m referring to it regularly to stay on track with the big picture”

  • “It’s a great idea, well executed. William, the creator, genuinely cares about what he teaches because he practices what he preaches. If you are permaculture farming on any scale, or at least thinking about it, it is worth your while to look over this tool to get an overview of the hands on work required to becoming a successful one. I haven’t use the tool for any great length of time yet, but have found myself referring to it regularly to ensure I am staying on track with the big picture, even when I am stuck in the details.” Nathan G.

“The guides are great. Inspirational and broken down into bite-sized chunks”

  • “The guides are great. Inspirational and broken down into bite-sized chunks of information that for me were very absorbable. Mind, I have some permaculture background and practical experience, but I think your vocabulary and descriptive style is broadly accessible.”Nathan G. (continuing) 

“I would not change a thing. Love its simplicity. ”

  • “After using the calendar and farm log for a few days then stopping to think for me I would not change a thing. The calendar allows me to look at the whole year; keeps what needs to be done and what is to come constantly in front of me. So I don’t forget something. Especially like the plant cutting section hardwood softwood.

    Love the farm log for its simplicity. Yet everything one can think of or dream about is there in the right place. So you can at a quick glance, get the information you need.

    Just my thoughts. Can you tell how much I love it:) “ – Bill C.

“The calendar probably has more already than I will ever need. It can act as a checklist or template to help set priorities and keep us ‘on track’.”

  • “The calendar probably has more already than I will ever need, as we are only on one acre, but would like to make the most of what we have.  I grew up on a farm (dairy, then beef cattle), am a biologist by profession, as well as a gardener, so I can fill in the detail from my experience, but what most attracts me about the calendar is that it can act as a checklist or template to help set priorities and keep us ‘on track’.” – Marie

“Useful in establishing a framework to work to! It’s a memory-jogger, and helps to keep things on track when other demands are popping up as a distraction.”

  • “William, I’d probably emphasise its usefulness in establishing a framework to work to.  It’s a memory-jogger, and helps to keep things on track when other demands are popping up as a distraction.”

“Love the calendars and guides”

  • “I just wanted to write quickly to say how much I love your calendars/guides/emails! Thanks for doing the work you do.”Greg S.

“The course allowed me to hit the ground running. His personal guidance and very fast turnaround time when answering emails are amazing.”

  • “William has put together a comprehensive course to start a permaculture farm from scratch. Many examples, videos, tools and worksheets come with the course that allowed me to hit the ground running. His personal guidance and very fast turnaround time when answering emails are amazing. The amount of time he invests to answer questions personally shows how much he loves what he’s doing.”Michael S. (a consulting client I worked 1:1 with as they went through the PIC programme)

“…looking forward to working with you! You inspire confidence. Thanks!” Susan D.

“I had such a positive experience with your other courses, I trusted that I would also get my money’s worth out of this course!”

  • I bought the course because I have experienced a lot of analysis paralysis in the last year regarding implementation of my design goals. Since I had such a positive experience with your permaculture design course I trusted that I would also get my money’s worth out of this course. – Morgan S. 

“I am so grateful to you for putting this together!”

  • “I’ve been following William for a few years now and am so grateful to him for all the work he’s done putting this together. He, Joel Saladin and of course the late Bill M and his trusty right hand man Jeff L have been my guru’s ever since I started studying Permaculture and other forms of sustainable systems. Thanks for letting me in.”Steve V.

“If you are missing years of hands-on experience, this course helps you get the confidence you need to make your own mistakes. Because in the end, nothing beats hands-on experience and this course helps you get there.”

  • “If I were to tell friends about this course, I would let them know that it helps focus on the essentials.

    It is best that you have some permaculture design experience so that you understand how to design a site in terms of proper zone and element analysis. Then when it comes down to implementation, the PDC training tends to leave people with too many options on what can be done. On top of that, we make the mistake of checking for solutions online and finding too many solutions.

    What this course does is help you focus on the bare essential tasks and how to schedule them after that is done one can start to think about peculiar design elements.

    I also think the course is particularly helpful for people that do not have access to many examples in their area or around the world. If you are missing years of hands-on experience, this course helps you get the confidence you need to make your own mistakes. In the end nothing beats hands-on experience and this course helps you get there. Also, William, you are very helpful in answering questions.” Eric G.B. 

“I truly appreciate your work, your approach, your skills, your pedagody.” Madeleine T.

“When I can ask questions and it’s all about my property, as opposed to learning something generally, it’s much easier and quicker to get moving forward.”

“(…) Consuming material on these subjects is one thing, but talking about it with someone who has experience is a whole different level. When I can ask questions and it’s all about my property, as opposed to learning something generally and then trying to apply it to my situation, it’s much easier and quicker to get moving forward.”Darren F.

    frequently asked questions

    Q. WHO IS THIS PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR?

    A. This program is primarily aimed at permaculture farmers and homesteaders who are starting out with their property development, mostly doing things on their own, and need practical guidance on implementation, and a monthly calendar to know exactly WHAT to do WHEN, and HOW, with a specific focus on growing food.

    If you have big yearly goals for your property, but it seems like you’re never quite able to reach them because you also have a life to live, family to take care of, a job to show up to… then this is made just for you!

    Q. I DON’T HAVE A DESIGN FOR MY FARM, CAN I STILL TAKE THE PROGRAM?

    A. Of course you can, the PIP will help you to understand what to do, when and how but… I would wholeheartedly recommend that you create a design for your farm first.
    Naturally, implementation comes after you have a working design for your farm. So if you still don’t have your master plan I would recommend that you takemy Permaculture Farm Design course so that you have a strong foundation for your permaculture property development.

    Q. DO I NEED A PDC BEFORE I CAN START USING THE PROGRAM?

    A. It definitely helps if you have a PDC under your belt, as you’ll have an understanding of permaculture principles, but even without these, you can still follow the system and start the implementation process the right way. The programme is designed to help you implement regardless of your theoretical knowledge level.

    Q. WILL THIS SYSTEM WORK IN MY REGION/CLIMATE?

    A. This system will work for you if you are in temperate zone climates: oceanic, continental, mediterranean, subtropical and boreal.

    If you’re in tropics, arctic and drylands (arid climate), you could still use the big picture planning framework, implementation guides, working documents and the bonus vault, but the yearly plans and permaculture calendars wouldn’t be applicable to your climate. You would need to adapt them to your specific climate context. How? See Q/A below.

    Q. I’M IN THE TROPICS, HOW ADAPTABLE ARE YOUR CALENDARS AND YEARLY PLANS?

    A. There are four modules in the course.

    M1: The Big Picture content would apply to any climate – it’s a universal framework.

    M2: Yearly Plan content would need to be adapted to your climate – you would need to adjust the current subtropical roadmap for the development of a food forest to your context, i.e., change some steps possibly and the exact timing of it. You can ask for my input if you are not sure how to go about it.

    M3: Implementation Guides content would apply to your climate – the exact techniques are performed in the same way across the world

    M4: Calendar content would need to be adapted to your climate, i.e., you would need to make a copy of my subtropical climate calendar and move around the timing of the tasks – I’m not sure in what capacity, though, since I don’t have experience with tropical climates, you would need to research it.

    Q. IS THE COURSE MATERIAL RELEVANT FOR THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE?

    A. The course material will be relevant for the Southern hemisphere as well. You can use the big picture planning framework, implementation guides, permaculture implementation calendar, and additional resources as-is. 

    The only thing that will need slight adjustment is the yearly plan, which in this current form has the ideal timing recommendations (months of the year) noted explicitly for the Northern hemisphere.

    Q. I LIVE IN HIGH RAINFALL/WETLANDS AREA (E.G. IRELAND), WILL THE COURSE APPLY TO MY CIRCUMSTANCES?

    A. For sure, you live in a continental climate, and we got you covered with yearly plans, implementation guides, and calendars. Also, you’ll get access to relevant implementation guides that will help you manage the overabundance of water and drain it if necessary.

    Q. HOW MUCH LAND DO I NEED?

    A. There is no specific land size consideration, you could be doing your permaculture projects on your small backyard, homestead or on a 100-acre farm.
    In the course, I do focus on tasks related to farm or homestead-scale permaculture, so you would need to adjust your expectations accordingly and understand that in order to get full value from the course your land would need to be at least 1/2 acre or above.

    Q. WHAT DO I NEED TO TAKE PART IN THIS PROGRAM?

    A. All you need is a computer and an Internet connection capable of streaming videos on your browser. To access all the course material: video lessons, yearly plan, calendar, working documents, and the bonus vault, you can use your computer, smartphone or tablet, whatever works best for you. You’ll also be able to print out the calendar and all the documents/worksheets/checklists.

    Q. CAN I GO THOUGH THE COURSE AT MY OWN PACE?

    A.The PIP is a self-paced course. All the video presentations are pre-recorded and ready to consume once you have the time to do so. There are no live webinars to attend or strict deadlines you need to adhere to.
    If you have other commitments at the moment, you don’t have to worry that you’ll fall behind with anything. You can take it as quickly or as slowly as you want to, it’s entirely up to you.

    Q. HOW LONG DO I HAVE ACCESS TO THIS MATERIAL?

    A. Once you enroll in the course, you’ll receive lifetime access to the material. I won’t be cutting your access to the course content after a short period (like some other permaculture course creators) or charge you a subscription for having continuous access.

    You get everything for life, including future updates: new yearly plans, new implementation guides, updated calendars, new resources.

     

    Q. HOW MUCH TIME WILL I NEED TO STUDY?

    A. The PIP is a self-paced course so you can take it as quickly or as slowly as you want to, it’s entirely up to you. You’ll receive lifetime access to the material, so there are no time limits or deadlines, except the ones nature and the farm impose, but the programme helps with that!

    On average, you will need only around an hour per course module. In each module there’ll be short video lessons, with resources and tools you’ll have to get to know access and use.This is mostly plug-and-play and involves a short amount of computer work. All of this content sets you up for implementation in the real world.

    The main demand for your time will be the on-site implementation. How long this will take is very context-specific and it depends on what you’re starting with, the resources at hand, available time, and labor. So it’s entirely up to you!

    Q. WILL YOU BE OFFERING THE COURSE AGAIN IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

    A. To be honest, I don’t know when I’ll be offering it again with all the farming, website and family obligations I have.

    I currently have three courses that I offer exclusively to my subscribers: Finding Land, Permaculture Farm Design, and Permaculture Implementation Calendar. Each of them is designed to help you in a different phase of your journey.

    I do my best to open each for enrollment at least once a year. That said, sometimes life and farming get in the way, so it might take longer than planned to re-run the course within the once-a-year timeframe.

    Q. I WANT THE COURSE TO GUIDE HIRED HELP. CAN I USE IT IN THAT WAY?

    A. Of course, you can. The PIP will give you all the necessary tools to manage your farm development and organize required work.

    You or other project managers can use planning frameworks, yearly plans, implementation guides, and permaculture calendars to organize what needs to be done around the property.
    And then, you can supply your helpers with clear step-by-step instructions on how to do something without you having to explain it yourself.

    Q. WHAT’S THE VALUE OF THE COURSE IF I’M PAST THE FIRST STEPS OF IMPLEMENTATION?

    A. If you are already done with the implementation of your gardens and food forests, i.e., they are in the spot they are supposed to be and are growing, AND you already have your implementation procedures worked out, I think you can skip the program.

    You would benefit from this program if you plan on expanding both of these systems and want to improve your effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity.

    You would be able to use the permaculture implementation calendar and yearly plans to develop new workflows, upgrade schedules, and better plan your farming year.

    Q. IS IT POSSIBLE TO ADD MY OWN TASKS TO THE CALENDAR?

    A. Yes, it’s possible, you can make your own personalized copy of the calendar and then add, remove, move tasks as you wish. It’s a spreadsheet like any other!​

    Q. HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT THAN THE FARM DESIGN COURSE?

    A. My other program deals with the design, this is an implementation program.
    In the Permaculture Farm Design Course, I teach you how to design your permaculture property. The Permaculture Implementation Program helps you implement that design and provides the practical how-to for that implementation.
    If you don’t have your design locked in yet, I’ll be opening the Permaculture Farm Design course for enrollment mid year..

    Q. WHAT IF I GET STUCK OR DON'T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING, WILL YOU HELP ME?

    Of course, you get priority access to me and can send me your questions via email and I’ll answer them within one working day. If something is not clear it’s my duty to help you understand it!

    Q. WHAT IF THIS DOESN’T WORK FOR ME?

    If you find that, at any point in the next 365 days, the course materials aren’t working for you, then you can ask for a refund.


    (Please see full terms of the guarantee for details.)

    The course comes with a YEAR LONG GUARANTEE, and I’ll be happy to issue a 100% refund at any time if you put in the work but aren’t fully satisfied.

    The only thing I will ask you is to let me know how to improve the course.

    That Said, I Have A Word Of Warning:
    Who This Is Not For

    If you answer “YES” to any of these, then we should part ways here and now. This course is NOT for you if:

    • You don’t have access to land (own or rent) where you could put the PIP system into practice. 
    • You think you have the time and resources to do your research and make your own mistakes.
    • You’re not willing to follow a methodical system.

    But, if you’re ready to put your money where your mouth is, get dirty and make all your friends go green with envy…

    And you eagerly await the day when you no longer need to buy food from the store – you dream of fully organically-grown everything and long term energy independence… 

    Well, then you are in the right place at JUST the right time.

    You can join the programme for 5 installments of $95 (or pay $397 in full and save 20%)

    If you break down the cost to a year, that’s $1.1 per day, and you get something that you’ll be using year, after year, after year. 

    Now ask yourself these hard questions (because our lives only change when we face tough choices head on):

    • Would you rather simplify your life and your farm projects… or be constantly stressed out because there is too much on your plate?
    • Would you rather do the essential few “must-do” tasks and get your farm established this year… or try to do EVERYTHING and waste the next 5 years without seeing any visible progress?
    • Would you rather implement relevant and timely permaculture techniques that are suitable to your climate… or miss natural deadlines, use the wrong techniques and waste thousands of dollars?  

    Because that’s what it all boils down to: CHOICES.

    If all this product does is to give you that clarity of work…

    …or get you from an overwhelmed enthusiast to the proud owner of an established farm that is visibly making progress each month,

    …or finally allow you to break free from the vicious cycle of planning the work but failing to implement the plan because you’re constantly taking on too much,

    …then would you say that dollar a day is a small price to pay… It’s almost insignificant really.

    If this is the life you wish to choose for yourself, then grab your seat in the Permaculture Implementation Programme!

    Your dream permaculture farm is 2 clicks away. Buy the PIP system now, try it within the next 365 days, and see your property transform right in front of your eyes. OR I will give you your money back.

    GET INSTANT, LIFETIME ACCESS TO THE COURSE FOR ONLY $397 (or 5 instalments of $95)

    The Big Picture Overview

    Phase-by-phase overview of the hands-on work required to kickstart your permaculture farm or homestead and grow healthy food.

    Yearly Plan

    The exact gameplan to follow this year (and every growing season thereafter).

    Implementation Guides

    Step-by-step instructions, planning spreadsheets and checklists for each project.

    Permaculture Calendar

    Month-by-month permaculture calendar that shows the optimal start and end times of each project for your climate zone.

    Permaculture Conversion Community

    Private Facebook and Telegram Group community where you can ask questions and get feedback on your implementation projects.

    Farmer's Vault:

    An ever-growing database of useful farm setup resources and directories.

    Kickstart your permaculture property and produce organic-everything…

     $USD397

     

    Pay in full and save 16%

    5 monthly installments of $USD95

    (Just $95 today)

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