cropped-atitlan_organics_logo-01.png

PERMACULTURE DESIGN CERTIFICATION

Get a bird’s eye view of your homestead, build your integrated design, and put it into ACTION!

Walk away with a fully integrated, expert reviewed permaculture design for your garden or homestead.

Build your ecological literacy, create your own integrated design map, and execute a 1, 3, and 5 year homestead plan.

Book a Free Consultation

Craving more connection with nature?

People are going back to the land. And its a great thing. As we realize how dependent we have become on big corporations to feed us, and how disconnected we have become from nature, more and more people are waking up to the joys of living closer to the land. Homesteading and gardening are on the rise and for a good reason.

The sad reality is that while gardening and homesteading are not particularly hard activities, most people approach them from the bottom up. Most homesteaders fail to get the real birds-eye view of their land, and just as importantly, their sequential plan of action looking out over several years. Instead, they often remain stuck in short-term thinking, failing to see their site as a fully integrated ecosystem.

Without an integrated plan, the errors begin compounding and good money gets thrown after bad, as we realize mistakes and then attempt to change course mid way. I know! I have been there myself. 

Lacking basic ecological literacy and a whole-systems lens through which to view my homestead, I regularly spent money in the wrong places, changed plans after work begins, and often was overcome with doubt, which led to shear inaction. I think we all know that ‘list’ of all the cool things we hope to have on our homestead, one day.

The moment I made a base map and started to build out a holistic site plan, patterns began to emerge. Permaculture Design Tools like Zone and Sector Analysis and Niche Analysis empowered me to make decisions based on the first principles of ecology. This grew into a confidence that my designs would work, as I knew my land deeper and deeper, as I employed permaculture design practices on my site.

My base map turned into an integrated site plan, and then into 1 year, 3 year, and 5 year overlays that guide my decision making at all time levels. This led to a thriving homestead that was a joy to be stewarding, productive and ecologically sound living. And after all, what more do we need?!

How Permaculture Design helps you:

  • Make clear decisions with confidence on how best to develop your site
  • Stop wasting money on shortsighted ‘improvements’ that fail to take the whole design into account
  • Start building ecological literacy and a deeper connection to your place
  • Start building your dreams, planning for the future, and empowering yourself and your family
View the Curriculum

Flexible start dates.
Each Session runs for 8 weeks, with one live call each Saturday

  • Session #1 starts Feb 4th, 2023 @11am PST
  • Session #2 starts Mar 3rd, 2023 @5pm PST

Make 2023 the year of self-sufficiency!

  • 8 weeks of live group coaching calls (recorded for later viewing)
  • Complete a fully Integrated Map and Design of your space
  • Get expert and peer feedback on your site and design
  • Lifetime access to all digital learning material

Book now and get early access

For a limited time only,
you can get early access to the Online Permaculture Design Learning Library
$1197
$ 997
  • Sign up now and get instant early access to the courses
Book Now
Special

What's Included

Self-paced, full permaculture design certification course with a full step-by-step Final Design Process that leaves you with your own expert and peer reviewed, integrated regenerative site design and a 1, 3, and 5 year strategic plan for implementation.

8 modules of rich video trainings, additional resources, note packs, check lists, and more

Explore the details of Earthworks, Water Management, Botany, Food Forests, Vegetable Gardening, Aquaculture, Nursery Management, and more.

Full Permaculture Design Process Roadmap to support the development of your own Permaculture Design Map and Plan

Lifetime access to full self-paced curriculum that helps you build your homestead from the ground up

Over a dozen different teachers and facilitators offering their unique knowledge and experience in different climates around the world.

Learn from anywhere and put the knowledge immediately into action, right in your own space.

Start Today

Is this training for you?

Look, this training isn’t for everyone. If you made it this far, then it is likely that you are committed to living a more empowered and connected life, with a deeper relationship to nature and more independence and sovereignty. That is awesome.

But the reality is that homesteading does take work. And more than anything, it takes dedication. 

If you are not willing to dedicate effort to your own knowledge building and ecological literacy, then this course isn’t for you.

If you are unwilling to entertain counterintuitive and perhaps even challenging ideas, then this course isn’t for you. As you will see if you jump in, the mainstream environmentalist narrative is not only largely false, but also anti-human and untrusting of the earth.

If you do not enjoy being outside and getting dirty, or even just sitting and observing, then this course isn’t for you. This course works best when you balance the theory with immediate and regular practice and on-site observation. The beauty of learning at your open pace and on your own site, you are right there to put the knowledge to practical work.

Maybe you are worried that you don’t own any land. The most important thing is that you have ACCESS to some land. It can be as simple as a community garden plot, or even a rooftop or patio container garden. Designing integrated holistic plans is a process and the more you do it, the better you get at it. If you are currently renting and worried that you will do a design on a land you wont have forever, its no problem. The practice and experience is invaluable. And when you finally can make the leap to owning your own land, you already experienced and will be more confident.

No site is too small. And no experience is required. What is required is a sincere desire to deepen your ecological literacy and build a land-based lifestyle that empowers you and your family.

Book Now

Not Ready to Jump In...

Book a free info call and get your questions answered!

Schedule a Free Consultation

What do Past Participants have to Say

This course has utterly blown me away. I signed up with the intention to fix my garden but what I’m learning has exceeded all of my expectations
Clare, UK
January 2021
I left feeling so inspired and empowered. I highly recommend Atitlan Organics and their PDC course to anyone who wants to learn amazing skills, gain a new perspective on our interactions with the land, and who wants to experience natural life in a completely unique and authentic way.
Aaron, USA
March 2022
I had the most amazing experience doing the PDC with Atitlan Organics. The lectures, experiential learning activities, and final design project were all fantastic. The community of teachers and students was so diverse and welcoming. It really fosters an environment in which everyone truly wants to learn, share, grow, and make the earth a better place.
Alison, USA
March 2022

Flexible start dates.
Each Session runs for 8 weeks, with one live call each Saturday

  • Session #1 starts Feb 4th, 2023 @11am PST
  • Session #2 starts Mar 3rd, 2023 @5pm PST

Make 2023 the year of self-sufficiency!

Your Investment

The mistake most people make is they think the “do it yourself” route is cheaper. I know because Im a homesteader too!

What they dont take into account is how taxing that approach can be. Making uninformed decisions means money can be quickly wasted, permanent mistakes are, well, permanent….

So you consider hiring a professional. A permaculture design will cost you easily $4-8k. And the worst part is that they will become the experts of YOUR land, while you will remain a mere observer and the person paying for all their crazy ideas. 

This is your chance to learn from our team and become an expert of your own land!

Master the entire Permaculture & Regenerative Design System for . . .

4 Monthly Instalments

$ 397
. per month
  • Easy payment plan to suit your pocket
Register

OR

Single Full Payment

$1197
$ 997
. once-off
  • Get instant early access to the courses
Register
Popular

90-Day Money-back Guarantee

Your investment is fully backed by our 90-day money-back guarantee. If you make a good faith effort to perform the work and complete all course content and you DON’T walk away with a fully integrated plan for your homestead or garden, and the confidence to execute that plan, simply email us and request a full and immediate refund.

Bonuses

For this round only, we are offering an amazing bonus opportunity.
In addition to the full Permaculture Design Self-Paced Certification Training, we are throwing in . . .

Bonus 1

8 x Two Hour Live Group Coaching Calls

Your opportunity to ask questions about your site-specific experiences and get feedback on your Final Design Project.

Valued @ $1200

Bonus 2

2 x 30-Minute Individual Coaching Calls

Get personalised support by one of our lead facilitators at any point throughout the live eight-week period of the program.

Valued @ $1200

Bonus 3

Unlimited Access to Telegram Community

Our global private homesteading group gives you access to our facilitators and a community of like minded homesteaders.

Valued @ $564

Sign me Up!

Meet Your Teachers

Click on image to learn more about a teacher.

Shad Qudsi

Ashley McDonnell

Rony Lec

Neal Hegarty

I'm Ready. Let's Go!

Copyright 2022 Atitlan Organics   |   All Rights Reserved

Instagram Facebook Tiktok Youtube Mail-bulk

Your Curriculum

Your curriculum for the Permaculture Design Certificate includes 20 short courses consumed over a period of 7 weeks, with a final design project to be finalised in the 8th week.

Week 1: The Spirit of Permaculture

Week 2: Design Methodologies

Week 3: Water and Earthworks

Week 4: Soil and Compost

Week 5: Plant Power

Week 6: Animals

Week 7: Permaculture Niches

Week 8: Final Design Project

The Final Design Project Course Module becomes available after completing all of the Content for Week 1 and Week 2. The module serves as a guide for your final design project. We suggest that you work on this throughout the course. The 8th call is reserved for students to present their final design projects. Upon completion of the Final Design Project and all of the Course Content, a Permaculture Design Certificate is awarded.

Shad Qudsi

Shad Qudsi has over 13 years experience in organic and commercial gardening and farming. He is certified in Permaculture Design and has over 3 years experience in permaculture design consulting. After graduating from Johns Hopkins University with a double major in Applied Math and Psychology, Shad and his wife, Colleen, moved to Central America with only vague goals of farming at some point in the near future. In January of 2010, Shad and his wife bought and moved onto a very small farm located in the traditional Mayan village of Tzununa, which on the north shore of Lake Atitlan, in Guatemala. The farm developed into Atitlan Organics and now mainly focuses on greens and chickens, a large edible and useful plant nursery, a food forest, and training and education.  Shad is an enthusiastic teacher who truly believes in the work he is doing. Human resiliency cannot be erased from the landscape and now, it is coming back with a loving grace.

Ashley McDonnell

Ashley’s work focuses on resurrecting our relationship to the natural world through the development of earth based skills that deepen our connection to place while increasing our sense of sovereignty and resilience. Devoted to the arts of permaculture, natural building, herbalism and birth work as her mediums, Ashley explores with humility the diverse modalities that support us in living in right relationship with the world around us. She views permaculture as a practice that not only creates healthy ecological communities but one that helps to reweave the very fabric of who we are as people. Her work is an offering to the future.

Rony Lec

Rony is one of the world’s leading experts in permaculture and Mayan ancestral knowledge. Rony has spent the last 20 years teaching and implementing permaculture throughout Central, South and North America focusing on promoting food sovereignty and preserving biodiversity for the survival of Indigenous communities.

Through his extensive work with Indigenous communities on traditional ecological knowledge, seed saving, native plants, local/global food movements, livelihood security, and the interaction between communities and the environment, he has made a key contribution to the empowerment of Indigenous people around the world. Rony is a co-founder of IMAP.

Neal Hegarty

Neal is originally from Ireland. He grew up on a dairy farm and has been around animals all his life. He studied agriculture in Ireland and has worked as a permaculturist for the past 10 years. Neal was the Volunteer Manager at Atitlan Organics for 2 years before co-founding his own Permaculture-based enterprise, Abundant Edge Farm, in Tzununa. He brings a wealth of experience, enthusiasm, and energy into each Intro to Permaculture Course and Permaculture Design Certification Course and we’re happy to continue to collaborate with him!

If you are interested in arranging a visit or tour, volunteering, or ordering products from the farm, please fill out this simple form and check your inbox for more details

Your Curriculum

Nicolas Hernandez Chiyal

Born and raised in the town of Tzununa, which lies right below Atitlan Organics, Nicholas and Shad have worked since Day 1, helping to craft the this amazing landscape. Nichloas is a supreme ninja farmer with skills beyond explanation. Visitors are endlessly impressed with his resourcefulness, ingenuity, and sheer motivation. Nicholas now owns and operates Las Ensaladas de Atitlan Organics, a business that sells organic produce to over 50 restaurants, hotels, and stores around lake Atitlan.

Zach Loeks

Hailing from Ottawa, Canada where he and his partner run the 50-acre Kula Permaculture Farm, Zach brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the course. He works as an educator, designer, consultant and farmer, with an emphasis on integrating diversity, conserving soil and maximizing farm ecosystem services while maintaining high productivity.

Last year Zach published The Permaculture Market Garden, which explores ways that permaculture can be scaled up be a profitable whole-systems enterprise. Zach is a leading figure in permaculture, who brings a new and exciting vision of how it can be integrated into the wider community and marketplace.

Holly Mech

Holly fell in love with yoga because of the sense of connection she felt every time she came to her mat. She began teaching yoga in Chicago in 2011. Her desire to deepen her teaching and personal practice led her to continue her yoga education in California, Bali, Australia and Guatemala. Holly now travels around the world teaching yoga and facilitating yoga teacher trainings. She enjoys helping new teachers sequence yoga classes and incorporate philosophy into their teachings. Her classes are creative and dynamic with an emphasis on making yoga accessible to everyone.

Holly studied English at the University of Illinois at Chicago and frequently draws inspiration for her classes from literature and poetry. When she’s not on the yoga mat she enjoys exploring nature, singing, dancing and working with textiles.

Laura Palmieri

Laura ‘Lala’ Palmieri is a clinical herbalist, a biologist, plant and fungi lover and grower. She offers health consultations to balance body, mind and soul working with medicinal herbs and mushrooms. Her approach to health integrates the knowledge of many ancient traditions and teachers, fusing spirituality with nature, and science with alchemy through the transformation of the elements.

Lala has spent her years in dialogue with Nature, which has fueled her passion to integrate scientific knowledge and the connection with all beings to help humanity. She integrates her practice with cooking, gardening, and exploring ecosystems. She teaches and facilitates herbal clinics and programs in permaculture, herbalism, botany, fermentation, and medicinal mushroom cultivation, with a regenerative earth care approach and techniques that are accessible to most. She and Sarah co-created the Envision and Cosmic Converge Herbal First Aid Clinics, other relief Clinics in Guatemala for the volcano eruption. You will find Lala crafting remedies for her diverse communities in Guatemala and Costa Rica, where she is actively creating a world with integrated healthcare.

Sarah Wu

Sarah is a clinical herbalist of 20 years, studying and practicing planetary eclectic, regenerative herbalism with a foundation in Wise Woman Reclaiming philosophies. Influenced by global traditions, Sarah focuses on local food-based healing and ethnobotanical traditions. She leads trainings and workshops in herbal medicine, Permaculture Design Courses, Therapeutic Deep Ecology, Social Permaculture, field-to-the-plate holistic nutrition, herbal first aid and Tarot. She is a passionate mentor and educator, who believes in the teacher’s role in unlocking the innate wisdom of the student. Sarah is the co-founder of the Village Witches project, and is a Co-Founder and Co-producer of Envision Festival.

Don Fransisco Simon

Don Fransisco knows the lands and waters of Tzununa deeper than most anyone alive. His intuitive handling of plants makes the whole system glow, and he is an avid duck enthusiast, maintaining the breeding flocks at Duck Willow, along with his own homestead flock. Aside from that, he oversees the establishment of the perennial agroforestry and aquaculture systems on Duck Willow Farms.

Your Curriculum

David 'Brock' Barker

Brock Barker was raised as an outdoorsman in the marshes and forests of south Louisiana, where he developed a passion for all things plants. After studying horticulture at university, Brock has worked in nurseries, landscaping outfits, and in the facilitation of a horticultural therapy program, and more. His primary ‘work’ for the last 12 years has been developing a 10 acre homestead which serves as personal garden of Eden and educational space for volunteers and workshops. Brock’s proficiency in areas such as mushroom cultivation/ foraging, fermentation, and botany, combined with his infectious enthusiasm make him an integral part of our team.

Jeremy Dexter Fellows

Jeremy has focused ten years of study, mentorship and implementation of permaculture design systems back home in Massachusetts. With many years of experience in botany and horticulture, he is fascinated by the world of plants. After working many years in Guatemala, Jeremy has dedicated his focus to land and water management systems that lend to ecological acceleration and social integration through food production. Jeremy now runs granja tzikin, works as a designer and consultant with Regenera and teaches in the Atitlan Organics teachers guild.

Julia Forest

Julia is an international yoga teacher, birth doula, women’s health advocate, and closet artist who is passionate about health, environmentalism and empowered birth. She is co-creator of the Sacred Birth Yoga & Doula Training, is founding director of Awakened Spirit Yoga and co-founder of the Wellkind Foundation, a non-profit that focuses on community empowerment and wellbeing through the lens of permaculture. She also created the Sacred Earth Yoga Training, the first yoga teacher training program that combines yoga, mindfulness, permaculture and leadership to transform lives and communities.

Coming Soon

Intuitive Plant Propagation

Please complete the form to be the first to know when this course goes live!

Your Curriculum

Your Curriculum