Practical Permaculture is dedicated to living sustainably with a lighter footprint on the earth. We use natural patterns to design easy to grow foodscapes and easy to live in homesteads. Imagine drought proofing your property while increasing soil fertility. For a permaculture consultation or design service for your property, no matter how large or small, please call 530-478-1852. Or take one of our workshops to learn how to do it for your own property.

Visit our Community page for interesting news and articles, Permaculture people, Permaculture resources, and especially...Permaculture videos. New resources are placed on top of each list.

Visit regularly for updated information.

For a list of subjects that we can teach at your event, please e-mail practicalpermaculture at gmail dot com.

There is Hope.

We are already creating a Sustainable Future.

Cathe'

Practical Permaculture

I just recently returned from Diversity Farm in The Channons, Australia where I was working with Geoff and Nadia Lawton at the Permaculture Research Institute. We also visited Bill Mollison's farm Tagari. Please see Geoff's videos: Greening the Desert and Permaculture Water Harvesting Swales in the VIDEO section of this website. Look under COMMUNITY.

Below is the flyer for the last class I taught. I can teach a class for you in your location if you can collect 20 people to sign up for the class, and find a place to have the class with yard or land for doing the hands-on work. I will make posters for you. For details, contact me. Cathe'

Previous Workshop:

Intro to Practical Permaculture
Permaculture offers positive solutions to a planet in crisis.
Learn to use nature as your pattern for food production, housing, and community.
Discover solutions for your apartment, backyard or farm in the areas of:
Edible Landscapes Water Harvesting Solar Kitchens & Solar Ovens Seeds Easy to Grow Strategies
Passive Solar Greenhouse Useful Tools Urban Permaculture Green Buildings Transportation
Local Financial Abundance Food Preservation Soil and Creek Restoration Community And more …

This course will introduce you to the basic principles and applications of Permaculture through beautiful multi sensory presentations, hands-on projects and materials.
Instructor: Cathe' Fish (and friends)
  •   28 yrs - Passive Solar instructor
  •   20 yrs - Certified Permaculture Designer
  •   20 yrs - Certified Permaculture Teacher
  •   19 yrs - Master Gardener
  •    7 yrs - College instructor
 
Hands-on activities include:

  • Making seedballs for hard to plant areas   
  • Designing water storage in swales   
  • Using A Frame levels to determine contour lines   
  • Digging swales
  • Innoculating covercrops and spreading them
  • Sheet Mulching
  • Growing mushrooms
  • Fruit trees for small spaces
  • Chickens and best feed practices
  • Life in Cohousing Village
 
Cathé and Rodolfo at the Briarpatch Harvest Festival
 
   
  Sarah mixes seeds for the swale   Phil and others digging the swale
Fees:

Fee includes nutrient dense lunch both days

Fee postmarked or Paypal by March 15: $150

Fee postmarked or Paypal by March 22: $165  

Fee postmarked by March 27: $170

Fee walk in on day of class: $180.

Registration:
  • To register, please call Cathe' at 530-478-1852 or email practicalpermaculture at gmail dot com
  • Info Needed: e-mail address, mailing address, phone number, vegetarian or non-vegetarian. We serve nutrient dense meals for lunch both days.
  • Mail check to: Cathe' Fish 503 Redbud Way, Nevada City, CA 95959
  • To pay with Paypal, e-mail Cathe' with the e-mail address you use for Paypal. Send e-mail to practicalpermaculture at gmail dot com
Time: Saturday March 29 2008 9am to 5pm     
Sunday March 30 2008 9am to 3pm or so
Location: Nevada City Cohousing. We will send you location info and what to bring one week before the class. Out-of-towners : call or e-mail if you need suggestions for where to sleep.
More Info:

Cathe' at Practical Permaculture 530-478-1852

Email:

practicalpermaculture at gmail dot com

Testimonials

"Great experience! Non stop and high energy. All the info I hoped for and so much more. Very well organized and held my attention at all times. Very thorough coverage of the many connected aspects of Permaculture and our place in the big picture - local and global. I am infinitely more optimistic about the future." HG, architect Port Angeles, WA

"Excellent Workshop. On one hand I want to take any future workshops you do; on the other hand, this workshop was so informative, I feel I now know everything. Surpassed expectation."

"Thanks for such a wonderfully informative and inspiring weekend!  I'm ordering solar cookers today." J.G. author Strawberries in November

"It's like someone turned on a light bulb. I couldn't stop talking about the workshop. It was amazing!  An excellent blend of facts, general info, details, concepts. It was the shot in the arm/kick in the pants I needed, and so many wonderful people to work with. I look forward so much to what will emerge from these seeds that were planted in the last few days."
M.McNeal, San Francisco

"Eye opening, mind expanding. Well diversified info that is practical and useable. Integration of many systems that makes sense. Thanks for sharing your life experiences and your light." P.R. Auburn

"Great class with intensive practical tips and ideas, lots of info tightly packed in."

"Excellent class! It is so useful to have this abundance of information synthesized by someone so knowledgeable. It has given me a starting point to tackling something that has seemed so overwhelming."

"Terrific workshop. 12 out of 10."

" Incredibly inspiring and informational. It was a ton of great information and very inspirational. The hands-on element really made it all come together. I'm excited to do more and be better prepared for the future - and more connected with others in the community,"

"I learned so many new things, such exciting and practical ideas for recovery of the old ways for a healthier earth and healthier people."

"I enjoyed your workshop so much. It was such a nice combo of down home sustainable living ideas, and practical gardening tips, and so warm and wonderful with the addition of the food and ideas around that..and your personality. Very hopeful feeling, that this can still be done in our days, and how crucial it is, and that we can spread it more and more."

Contact Cathe'
practicalpermaculture (at) gmail (dot) com

Cathe's Blog
Please click here to read Cathe's blog