Diploma in Applied Permaculture Design

Nicole Vosper

Beginnings…“In chaos lies unparalleled opportunity for imposing creative order”

- Bill Mollison

My Ten Designs

Learning Pathway Highlights

• Getting drunk at the NDG

• Design Support Intensives with Aranya

• ‘Potato vagina’ at London Permaculture Fest

• Training of Teachers Course

• South West Permaculture Convergence

• RegenAG making me more of a militant vegan than ever

• World’s first Vegan PDC with Graham Burnett

Learning Pathway Tips• Self-educate/forage…. but find

opportunities for application

• Embrace design projects (especially complex & challenging ones). But give them an end date.

• Regular courses, workshops, events, gatherings… stay connected to the network!

• Cultivate a support web - people that inspire you, help you, who you can collaborate with…

• Design a low-input documentation system

Brook End• Enjoy the journey (because it

will be a long one)

• Get others to do the work for you - tap into collective intelligence

• Be humble, interact minimally

• Take photos, celebrate what you have achieved

• Share with others!

Kitchen Garden Area, Feb 2011

Kitchen Garden Area

Kitchen Garden Area

Kitchen Garden Area

Polytunnel Area

Polytunnel Area

Medicine Garden

Medicine Garden

Medicine Garden

Consultancy Projects

Consultancy Projects

Consultancy Projects

Consultancy Projects

Campaign & Network Designing

• Observe/think/plan… be strategic

• Think resilience

• Think long term. Pro-active rather than reactive

• Be committed to re-distributing power, sharing skills, draw from a large grid - be as decentralised as possible

• Evaluate & re-design regularly

And a ton of organising…

A skill set that I can apply to everything, forever.

• Skills & Qualifications

• Livelihood!

• Job with Somerset Community Food (now quit!)

• Feed Avalon CIC Workers Cooperative

• Nourishment. Beautiful, productive garden

• Kicked UK Methane’s ass

• Diverse yields for clients

• New friends/comrades/contacts

• Personal wellbeing!

• Self care

• Confidence

• Integration - politics/permaculture

• Healing

Obtain a Yield

What was challenging?

What was challenging?

Ideas & Questions• Privilege?

• Existing patterns of oppression? Class? Race? Gender etc etc?

• Power relationships?

• Systemic change?

• Nonhumans?

• Limitations of lifestyle choices?

• Culture of resistance?

I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We

must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the

tormentor, never the tormented. !

- Elie Wiesel (Holocaust Survivor)

Is permaculture political?

Tips for other apprentices• Design your documentation

systems at the beginning

• Connect with others as much as possible

• Small & slow solutions

• Its the journey, not the destination

• Nonhumans?

• Limitations of lifestyle choices?

• Culture of resistance?

What next?

www.emptycagesdesign.org

Gratitudes