To care for the earth. To care for the people. To share the surplus.
Permaculture enthusiasts — people who center their lives around sustainability —live by these three values, and Solid Ground Farm in Athens is offering a seven-week workshop this spring to provide educational opportunities for students and the general public.
The courses about the permaculture lifestyle will be offered each weekend beginning March 16, and participants will earn a Permaculture Design Certificate if all courses are taken, said Weston Lombard, manager of Solid Ground Farm and an Ohio University alumnus.
“I’m trying to encourage and implement different sustainable agriculture and lifestyle strategies on the farm,” Lombard said. “My goal is to teach ways to apply different theories that are out there. Each course fits within the framework of permaculture. They’re all different courses that examine the aspects of sustainable living.”
Local permaculture enthusiasts and regional experts, including Instructor Sasha Sigetic from Integration Acres, will teach each course and offer site visits and interactive projects.
“It’s a way to design and live your life so that you’re working with nature’s patterns and treating others with respect,” Sigetic said. “I really want to give people a chance to learn about a healthy livestock and the tools to do it on their own. It’s a whole new way of thinking, and it makes people want to live in different ways.”
Another instructor, Kathy Jacobson, has been implementing permaculture ideals for 36 years and is a lifelong learner of the craft.
“One of the first things students can do is to be aware of their electrical consumption,” she said. “Turning the lights off and not leaving the power running helps too. For a student interested in sustainability, finding a way to take this course and getting the certification under your belt now, would be very helpful in the future.”
Along with the spring courses, Solid Ground Farm currently offers the Community Orchard Mini Series, which works with Community Food Initiatives. The five-part series costs $5 per course for non-members and goes through March.
“The courses are designed to familiarize participants with the theory and ideas of permaculture and to give them the hands-on skills to design and implement the strategies in their own lives,” Lombard said.
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