Permaculture tends to evoke images of farming and rural commune living, but as culture evolves, so does permaculture. Today, everyone from city planners to urban designers to backyard gardeners are turning to permaculture to solve pressing environmental and social problems in the city — and permaculture classes are getting packed!

Larry Santoyo of EarthFlow Design Works leads one of these popular courses in Los Angeles. The last Permaculture Design Course session ended just a couple weeks ago — with a potluck party and crazy post-class talent show put on by the 100 or so students in the course.

I only went to the party — not any of the classes — so I didn’t learn all about ecourbanism and sustainable societies — but I did see that all the students seemed to be having a lot of fun. The class included people of all ages working in a variety of different fields — one techy dude’s talent show contribution was a demonstration of cool computer programs he’d worked on — though I’d say the hippie element’s still pretty high.

The party was just fun and games but the course itself — which can be taken for certification through the Permaculture Institute — sounds like serious work, covering everything from broadscale design to eco-neighborhoods to more personal topics, like living sustainably and finding a career path — with a focus on hands-on work. Check out the more detailed course outline here.

I’ll be taking the course starting next month (click image for full-sized PDF of poster):

When: 10 am – 6 pm on the first Sat. and Sun. of every month from April to September
Where: Farmlab and other locations in the L.A.-area
Cost: $1050 ($950 if paid in full, in advance) for the full 6-session course. Get $50 off either price by using the code “greenlagirl” during online registration.

Teacher discounts, payment plans, and work trade opportunities are also available. The noncommittal can pay $95 a day or $180 for a weekend.

In addition to permaculture expert Larry Santoyo — who’s veep of the Permaculture Institute, co-director of The Terra Foundation, and founder of the MicroVillage Network — instructors will include Scott Pittman, director of The Permaculture Institute; Toby Hemenway, author of Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, and other experts and speakers.

Bottom image via earthflow.com

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