Permaculture Design Course – Holt Gård – Undrumsdal, Norway
A 10-day Permaculture Designers Course
from the 11th to the 22nd of September 2023
You are invited to a “once in a lifetime” event where vast and unique Permaculture experience will take on the challenges of Scandinavian climates.
We invite you to imagine a meeting place where we can dive into the world of permaculture. You, the participant, might already be a serious student and practitioner who longs to harvest from those who have been in the game since the beginning. Or you may be a keen lucky beginner ready to kick-start your journey.
We are proud to present the teachers:
Douglas Bullock, a well-known pioneer and Permaculturist, actively involved with design, education, and site development for over 40 years.
Doug´s home on Orcas Island, Washington, is widely regarded as one of the most mature, well-functioning Permaculture systems in North America.
Douglas has worked internationally across U.S., Latin America, Europe and the Pacific, teaching in fields like design, tree crops and nursery, small and large-scale wetland environments, appropriate energy technologies and more.
He has a passion in seeing the full-scale design implemented successfully. This is paralleled with in depth knowledge on practically every field of Permaculture pursuit.
John Valenzuela is a horticulturist, consultant, and educator, who focuses on a diversity of productive trees, shrubs, vines and perennials, currently growing an ecosystem of abundance with Cornucopia Food Forest Gardens.
His field experience is informed by the diversity and inter-connectedness of nature with human cultural heritage. Teaching and learning about permaculture formally for nearly 35 years, John has lived, worked, and taught throughout Hawaii and the West Coast of North America, in urban, suburban and rural settings.
His teaching grows out of his work in backyards and small farm scale tree crops, perennial gardens, integrated pest management, nursery and community scale propagation, event organizing, worker collectives, and extensive fruit tasting experiences!
He also consults for many local non-profits involved in local food production.
cornucopiafoodforest.com
permacultureacademy.com/about
hiddenforestnursery.com/about/
santacruzpermaculture.com/people/
Douglas and John have been teaching as a team since 1997. They have a great teaching rapport, having taught more than 20 full length Permaculture Design Courses together, primarily at Douglas Bullocks Homestead.
Assistant and local resource:
Robin Leeber has a passion for agricultural diversity. He has his Permaculture-experience from family farming projects in Thailand, Hawaii and now in Norway.
He has acquired much knowledge on straw-bale building and forest gardening.
Robin thinks Permaculture is a powerful package of wisdom that affects all aspects of life, and that an empathic connection with self and others is key to a successful design.
Currently he is running Efferus.no, a forest-garden information-site and plant sale.
As a certified CNVC trainer he also offers weekend empathy-workshops.
The venue:
Holt Gård is a beautiful, diverse, small-scale organic farm.
The idealistic and hardworking owners, Roar and Rakel, have shown in a time-proven way that wholistic farming can be economically sound. They have created a peaceful and harmonious environment for enjoyment and growth. Kindergartens, school classes, families and other groups have been visiting since the early 90’s. Every weekend the farm is open for visitors who want to see the animals, play in the barn and enjoy nature and other happenings throughout the year.
Holt Gård is also the location of a CSA, providing vegetables for local families as well as the farm’s café and kitchen. The farm´s dairy produces a popular yogurt, ice cream, and cheese. These products, along with their meat and eggs, are sold in their little shop.
The next generation, soon to take over the farm, is eager to continue shaping the land and the project in a sustainable way. With this as a setting, the farm will be a great playground where we can dive in with design creativity and get our hands dirty!
www.holtgard.no
In participating in this course, you will deepen your knowledge, experience, and cultivate inspiration with most subjects in your permaculture journey.
We will have a practical approach to the design of gardens, nurseries, orchards, edges, food-forests, ponds, and wetlands with water storage and purification methods. Livestock and wildlife will also be subjects of focus.
As we have an eco-village on our premises, we will also investigate how to implement energy technologies and urban strategies for a sustainable living.
We can promise a well-organized course with a good variety of approaches and pedagogic methods like lectures, slideshows, handouts, hands-on projects, demonstrations, walk-and-talks. There will also be local guest-speakers presenting their different areas of expertise.
At the completion of the course, you will receive your PDC certificate.
Price:
Early-bird before the 15th of May: 15.900 NOK
Standard after the 15th of May: 17.900 NOK
Price includes three nourishing, home-made meals a day – sourced mostly from our organic garden, animals, and dairy. We do accommodate for most dietary needs.
10% of the sum is paid upon registration as a non-refundable deposit.
The remaining sum must be paid 1 month prior to course start date; within the 11th of august 2023.
There is a range of different accommodation available – starting from 100 and up to 600 NOK a night in addition to the course fee. Options include land to camp on, four sleeping huts, a caravan, a yurt, and some rooms in the main course building. All with shared bathrooms. In addition, there is choice of accommodation in the eco-village.
To sign up for the course, send an e-mail to Any questions are also welcome.
Best Regards – The Holt Gård Team