As part of this advanced course, I look forward to working through the design process on an excellent 5 acre lot (Pike Lake) that has agreed to be involved. 

Although we will use the permaculture principles and a well develop path to sustainable design, knowing your environment, soils, weather, and site specific conditions is very important. 

Soon by mail you will receive the Site Assessment Workbook. Upon receipt, print, punch, and place the workbook pages in a D-ring binder and start familiarizing yourself with the material. This binder is for site-specific data (later needed pages I will bring for the course). Please read over the workbook and during the course fill in data (with pencil) as available. 

Add pages as needed. Flag pages for action and needed information. You will use this for the design process of the Pike Lake site and implementation logistics. Other assessment information and notes should be in separate sections.  We will add pocket pages and clear sleeves for graphics.We will collect the needed documents and build the property dossier, insert photos, lots of photos, notes and added material as available. 

We will put plant lists and design documents in the appendix and hand out copies of resource materials as needed. Please do not share the workbook. 

Lastly, permaculture solutions are site specific. Although the custom design and resource system you and I devise will be tailored to your desired “lifestyle”, the natural capital and ecological services that exist in the landscape will be our guide. Our goal is to adapt ourselves to the abundance that already exists, reduce our dependence on outside resources, steward the ecological services, and increase our natural capital.

 Looking forward, Daniel Halsey