[Pil-pc-oceania] Jim's Permaculture

[Robyn Francis]

On 10/7/07 11:01 AM,
From: "Susan Girard" <pest.asides at bigpond.com.au>
> Jim's Permaculture
> 
> I aggree with Fiona.
> I think even gardening is a big step up from mowing. Okay many of the Jim's
> out there, do have horticultural skills and qualifications.  So in advance I
> apologise to Jim and his men - perhaps they are not going to get their PDC
> and then try to change the world of their clients. I like to think it best
> to consider David Holmgren's 9th Principle 'Use small and slow solutions'.
> I don't think a PDC is  enough to be able to go out and Design Landscapes
> let alone Retrofit Houses.

Agreed, it takes more than a PDC for most people to be competent in
permaculture design, implementation and maintenance. That's why the
Accredited Permaculture Training (APT) was created to provide the extra
skills and knowledge to train competent permaculture practitioners at these
different levels to operate effectively in a world that needs ps-skilled
people.

For permies with post-PDC experience, this could provide employment
opportunities with the support of Jim's franchise business and promotion
(the very areas many aspiring pc enterprises struggle with)

I also see an opportunity to integrate APT with Jim's work-force, earning
their Certificate III as a combination of PDC and ongoing workplace and
structured training, like an apprenticeship or traineeship where they do 1
day per week of intensive vocational training.

The Cert III in Permaculture is a qualification for implementation,
maintenance and information services,  it really requires the basic
knowledge of the PDC but takes this into the depth and detail equivalent to
a Cert III in Horticulture, Conservation & Land Management etc, and covers
botany, organic pest and weed management, integrated plant and animal
systems, crop regulation, harvest and processing, installing permaculture
structures, water systems and appropriate technologies, planning and
maintaining pc gardens, food forests etc This would be the ideal competency
for Jim's $35/hr practitioners.

The APT Cert IV in Pc trains the designers, supervisers, community
development officers etc building further on the knowledge, skills and
experience base of Cert III.

BTW the Pc Institute's directive has always been that the PDC qualifies one
as a 'trainee designer' for at least 2 years after the course.  The
'diploma' issued by the institute was intended as acknowledgement that one
had at least completed 2 years of practical work and thus could call one's
self a permaculture designer.

Ciao
Robyn
-- 
Pathways to sustainability through
Accredited Permaculture Training
Certificates III & IV and Diploma of Permaculture
Erda Institute Inc

Robyn Francis 
International permaculture design
and sustainability consultant, educator & facilitator

Djanbung Gardens 
Permaculture Education Centre & Demonstration Farm
PO Box 379 Nimbin NSW 2480
02-6689 1755  /  0429 147 138
www.permaculture.com.au