PDC delivered in real time with mix of live content, downloadable presentations and videos, practical challenges and chat. There are opportunities for farm visits and a chance to volunteer and take part in some of our projects once it is safe to do so. We will also ensure interactions between the course participants and do everything we can to transcendent the mainly online format.
The course will be structured around morning and evening zoom chats. Not quite the same as a residential PDC we know, but a chance to do it very cheaply and to be part of pioneering blended learning permaculture courses, which will have to become a feature in the post Covid world.
This autumn it will be 10 years since we first went to Treflach Farm to teach a PDC, one which turned out to be one of great significance for both the Farm, Sector39 and many of the participants. It was the first time we had the opportunity to try and design a whole farm, and we quickly realised we had to absorb a tremendous amount of information before we could make one relevant design suggestion. It was a great challenge but what the group came up with turned out to be visionary. Among other things they plotted a 25 year transition time for the farm and envisioned where food, energy, climate considerations would take over that time.
We actually ran a series of 5 courses in 2010-2012 and this is our first return to the farm for a full PDC since then. You will see a farm in transition and one that is well along the path that was mapped out all those years ago. It has been quite a journey!
Treflach Farm has a really interesting story. The farm has changed and evolved several times over the 120 years or so. It has been with the family who run it, reflecting the shifting priorities and demands of the times. More recently they have moved away from dairy and began to explore the world of free range animals, regenerative farming, permaculture, education, on farm bakery. It has a fantastic relationship with Derwen College for Adults with learning differences and developed on farm retail.
Before any of this diversification could happen it took people power, to develop and test ideas, fine tune and deliver such a broad range of activities. Last year they had their first on farm event, not quite a festival but music, talks, local food crafts and a lot of child friendly fun.
Treflach Farm has learned many important lessons and through partnership with S39 we aim to share this experience as a backdrop to exploring the key ideas of permaculture. This is a great chance to complete your PDC and connect to a lively community surrounding the farm.
This video is from 2011 and was made at Treflach Farm on a PDC of that year. This PDC will be a bit different from that but it will give you a flavour of the area and some of the ideas we explore on the course.
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