Bring your plants seeds, garden abundance or preserves to swap and mingle with other Permaculture enthusiasts.
An opportunity to experience permaculture and meet other practitioners. Visitors can see first hand an established permaculture system and ask questions. See how the permaculture design system has relevance to the challenges we face and to creating communities and environments that are resilient.
If you are planning on attending the tour please consider carpooling with others. Folks with plants to sell or swap can arrive at 12:30
Guided tour will be from 1-2. Self guided tour and plant sale/swap will be from 2-4. Look forward to seeing you all!
We will also have a place to trade or gift plants and seeds to other attendants. To sell or trade you can show up a little early say 12:30 and set up. You can bring a table or display on the ground or the back of your car or truck.
A Free gathering time for People interested in Permaculture from Whatcom county to come together and discuss ideas. Tour Inspiration Farm in the Winter Agenda– Tour, talk, swap plants and seeds. Simulate and educate through demonstrations of water harvesting landscapes, soil building, animal integration, growing techniques, tours, and workshops.
Come bring your idea to share! How can we Showcase permaculture?
After the tour we invite you to stay for an informal discussion. How can we move Permaculture forward here in Whatcom county. How can we as a community form guilds of different skill sets, aid in promoting permaculture related events and work within our community to install systems such as food forests, lending libraries, speakers forum and cooperative nurseries.
An opportunity to experience permaculture and meet its practitioners. Visitors can see these myriad initiatives, ask questions and see for themselves a permaculture design system. Learn how theses systems have relevance to the challenges we face. By Creating communities that are resilient in the face of undesirable and unforeseeable impacts. Hope to see you there!
A fun filled Practical Permaculture Immersion Weekend. We will illustrate practical ways to design an integrated thriving living system that that partners with nature. Designed to be self regulating, diverse, abundant and resilient. Whether you are on an urban lot or a farm homestead, energy, water, soil building, animal systems, food production and preservation systems, with diverse income streams. Join us if these are important to you.
An extended site tour of the established systems at Inspiration Farm will augment this experiential weekend. A detailed presentation over viewing Permaculture ethics, principals and strategies will be covered on the first day. On the second day an in depth dive into systems relationships and design mapping process and strategies will be covered.
Class format includes lectures, discussions, extensive tours of an established site and hands-on activities.
Presentations and discussion in the AM, site tour, hands on projects with plant guilds, soil creation, Nursery establishment and other integrated systems in the PM.
Installing a guild
one of the designs
Discounts for couples, $250- Pot luck lunch for both days. Camping is available. Limited to 15 Participants.
Feel free to call if you have any questions. 360-319-2029
Are you interested in learning more about permaculture and the ways you can get involved with the Whatcom Permaculture community? Dive into the world of permaculture design and see what the Whatcom Permaculture Design course offers.
This Information session offers
Hear about the basics of permaculture and its benefits.
Learn about our upcoming events, including workshops, volunteer opportunities, and community meet-ups.
Discover the details about our Permaculture Design Course (PDC) and how to apply for a scholarship before the April 1st deadline.
Hear from some past students reflections
Ask questions and get personalized advice on how to start your permaculture journey.
We look forward to exploring the potential of living regeneratively together with you!
Ways to Get Involved with Whatcom Permaculture
Engaging with Whatcom Permaculture is a rewarding experience that contributes to both personal growth and community development. Here’s how you can get involved:
Attend Introductory Workshops:
Sign up for workshops to learn about permaculture principles and techniques.
Workshops are hands-on and often include site visits to local projects.
Join us on March 29th, from 9-2:30pm, for a unique opportunity to learn fruit tree pruning from Jane Campbell while contributing to Whatcom County food security.
The workshop will take place at the CTK Food Share and Farm orchard. This small, privately owned orchard was donated to the CTK Food Share and Farm. All fruit produced on the trees goes to volunteers, food banks and food pantries around Whatcom County.
Timely pruning is essential for: reducing and controlling disease and pest pressure; sculpting strong branch structure; and, increasing flower and fruit yields!
Jane is an experienced local landscaper and orchardist specializing in fruit tree training, maintenance and restoration pruning.
This is a great opportunity to learn how to prune your own trees while helping restore this donated orchard. What to expect: We will spend ~1hr lightly reviewing pruning theory and vocabulary, essential pruning tools and tool sharpening. Then we will dive into practicing techniques. This is our second year restoring this orchard.
All participants will be invited to return to the orchard in summer to learn summer thinning and pruning; and, again in the fall to bring in the harvest.
An opportunity to experience permaculture and meet its practitioners. Visitors can see first hand an established permaculture system and ask questions. See how the permaculture design system has relevance to the challenges we face and to creating communities and environments that are resilient.
Now in its 14th year, International Permaculture Day has grown rapidly from its roots as an Australian initiative to a global day of permaculture celebrated in over 35 countries.
If you are planning on attending the tour please consider carpooling with others. Folks with plants to sell or swap can arrive at 1:30 Guided tour will be from 2-3. Self guided tour and plant sale/swap will be from 3-5. Look forward to seeing you all!
You can shop for plants ahead of time and we will have them ready for you to pick up. There will also be a place to trade or gift plants and seeds to other attendants. To sell or trade you can show up a little early say 1-1:30 and set up. You can bring a table or display on the ground or the back of your car or truck.
Imagine Permaculture
We offer these tours to further develop the connection between the farm and the community. Tours are a great way to learn and visit the farm and pick up some permaculture food at the same time. See first hand what it takes to turn a landscape into a productive, vibrant, resilient, regenerative system. We will show you what makes Permaculture and Biodynamic farming systems thrive in food abundance at the same time as we regenerate the land, create habitat, clean and store water and build soil! Tours generally cover land, water, nutrient, biomass and animal management systems. Nursery Plant sales and more. This may be altered according to people on the tours interest and questions.
large scale systems
describing water connections to earthworks course students
Resilient Whole System Design Strategies
Inspiration Farm is an 11 acre homestead styled farm founded in 1994. Integrating Biodynamic and Permaculture practices in relation to annual & perennial food systems, animal husbandry, appropriate technology, land/water nutrient management.
Learn to create your own Fruit Nursery Stock. Fruit Tree Grafting and Plant Propagation from Cuttings. Sunday, March 10th, 2024, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Pruning season is upon us! Remember to save scion wood for the Grafting Gathering! You can learn how to collect scion wood here.
Bring Apple, Pear, Plum varieties from your neighborhood. Share scion wood and graft to start new trees! We will demonstrate basic grafting techniques. Select scion wood and rootstock to graft a tree to take home! Plum and Apple rootstock will be available for a nominal fee. By sharing the scion varieties people bring from their area, will allow us each to have a nice mix of varieties. Also demonstrated will be a variety of techniques we use to propagate hard wood cuttings to create your own nursery stock from winter pruning activities.
One year old Plants from Cuttings
Remember to dress for the weather. This will be a mostly outside event with a tour of the nursery operation and cutting collection tour around the farm. You may want to bring your own snacks and creature comforts.
Apply Permaculture principles to real life Earth Care!
Three month apprenticeship, June 15- Sept 15, 2023, living, working and learning on a permaculture farm in the beautiful Cascade Mountains.
Curricula includes: Sense of Place, Botany Basics, Gardening/ farming practices, Herbal Medicine Making, Foraging, Energy Flows, Mycology, Chickens, Homestead Skills and more!
There are a lot of exciting events this year. Meet ups, Plant and Seed swaps and some excellent classes. Hopefully you see something that interests you or a friend.
Permaculture Meet-Up at Inspiration Farm February 23 @ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
A Free gathering time for People interested in Permaculture from Whatcom county to come together and discuss ideas. Come bring your idea to share! Please RSVP here.
The Whatcom Permaculture events bring together like-minded individuals who are interested in sustainability, agriculture, and community building. It’s a chance to meet others with similar interests, share knowledge, and collaborate on projects.
From permaculture meet-ups to grafting workshops, there are a wealth of learning experiences available. Events like the grafting workshop offer hands-on experience that goes beyond theoretical knowledge. The International Permaculture Day event not only celebrates the global impact of permaculture but also facilitates people from various backgrounds come together to share their unique approaches and experiences.
For those looking to start or get involved in permaculture projects, these events are a perfect place to find potential collaborators or mentors. Networking can lead to new opportunities and initiatives. Seeing permaculture principles in action and hearing from those who have successfully implemented them can serve as a powerful source of inspiration and creativity.
Overall, the excitement surrounding the Whatcom Permaculture events stems from the dynamic combination of education, practical application, and community development centered around a sustainable and ecologically mindful way of living.
Join us for an Information Packed Zoom Circle. February 28 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
A space to share an overview of what a PDC is and how we have organized one here in whatcom county. We will answer your questions about what a Permaculture Design Certificate course is all about.
Why is the Whatcom Hands on PDC unique
What you can hope to get out of it
How it can influence your life and career for the better
How it can help build a better relationship with yourself, your food, community and the environment.
We look forward to sharing with you during this session. Please RSVP here. We will send you a Zoom link.
Permaculture Meet-up at Queen Mountain Homestead March 29 @ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Queen Mountain Homestead (QHM) is an 8-acre intergenerational family home and educational demonstration site nestled on the western flank of Bellingham’s Queen Mountain. In the spring of 2016, after a decade+ of designing, building and maintaining permaculture landscapes across Washington (and internationally), we became the designer-stewards of our forever home. Please RSVP here
Grafting and Plant Propagation
March 10 th 11am – 2:00 pm
Learn to Create your own Fruit Nursery Stock. Fruit Tree Grafting and Plant Propagation from Cuttings Read more
Scythes the Cutting Edge! April 28th 10am – 3pm
Sell the Weed Eater and use a Scythe! Maintain your body, not your machines. Learn the sharper points of this elegant tool. Thought to be old school, but better blades and an ergonomic set up makes them one of the most efficient tools out there. Learn what makes a good scythe, how to select a scythe for your needs and … Read more
International Permaculture Day Tour & Plant Swap May 4th, 2-5pm – Free! –
We will celebrate International Permaculture Day May 4th 2024! A day to showcase permaculture around the world. Throughout the year we have a variety of permaculture Events, Tours and Workshops at Inspiration farm. This year we will have a tour and Plant Swap for International Permaculture Day on Saturday May 4th, 2-5pm. An opportunity to experience permaculture and meet its practitioners. Visitors can see … Read more
