Summer Intensive PDC

This course is ideal for participants who prefer the most immersive learning community experience and for those coming from other regions or countries.

July 20-30, 2025

Passion & Purpose: The PDC is often remembered as the moment when passion and purpose found their alignment. Transformative in its very nature, the course is a must-do step for anyone at any life stage who is answering the call to discover right livelihood, gain the skills to better meet the needs of our times and serve their community in a meaningful way. 


Course Location & Dates: This 11-day intensive PDC places you on a historic organic educational farm bordering a nature park and creek in a forested canyon served by public transportation within the city of Portland! Field trips to several permaculture & placemaking demonstration sites will be woven into the program. Participants are encouraged to arrive on Saturday, July 19th. A dinner and course overview will be provided. Participants may depart on the morning of the 31st.


Format:  This course is being offered in an intensive format with classroom sessions, demonstrations and hands-on projects and will exceed the required 72 hours of learning time. Sessions will run from 8:30am-6pm with a 1-day break in the middle of the course. Evenings will include some optional on/off-site happenings. Participants can expect to utilize some evening time reading course materials and working collaboratively in design project groups.


Audio text provided below:

Cost: The base fee for the course is $1200 and includes materials, organic lunches, snacks and coffee & tea. If you plan to stay off-site but want to participate in the full meal plan, the cost is $1450. Residential options include all meals and tent camping (you bring the gear) for a total course cost of $1700. Limited dorm or prepared tent space with bedding included costs a total of $1950. Save 10% off the base fee ($120)  by registering before April 1.  Staying on-site or nearby is recommended. Participants are responsible for their own travel. The course location is directly served by public transportation. Local Airbnb’s are available on a first-come, first-served basis and must be arranged independently. 


Food: Prepare to be well-fed! Most of the produce will come from our farm, as well as a portion of the milk and eggs. Breakfast will be breakfast bar style, with granolas, yogurt, fresh fruit, eggs, juices, coffee and tea. Lunch and dinner will provide omnivore, vegetarian and gluten-free options. A rotating cast of Portland-area chefs will be featured for many of the course dinners, giving you a special experience of the cultural culinary diversity of the city!


Instruction: Matt Bibeau, MSEd, will serve as the primary course instructor. The course will also feature daily guest teachers TBA. Matt holds degrees in env. science and sustainability ed, and has been teaching permaculture courses since 2009. He served as the co-lead instructor for the City Repair Project’s annual PDC from 2014-2021, and taught as an adjunct professor at Portland Community College in 2022. In 2024, Matt was awarded the Professional Diploma of Permaculture Design in Education from the Permaculture Institute of North America, one of the most distinguished permaculture design instructor credentials available. 


Pay Now to secure your spot!

Course Content

This course will support you in weaving together broad-scale goals and place-specific strategies of caring for land and building community. We will introduce you to tools for understanding larger influential patterns of landform, watersheds, climate, and culture, as well as more local strategies including water harvesting, soil and plant care, perennial/food forest system design, appropriate/DIY technologies for storing and conserving energy, detoxifying and retrofitting the built environment, and designing for equity and justice.


Topics fulfill the standard internationally-recognized and PINA-certified 72-hour Permaculture Design Course curriculum, and includes additional hours on the specialty topics of urban permaculture and placemaking. We have also deepened our ‘design skills’ component of the course to provide more guidance around creating and communicating compelling permaculture designs.

Graduates will receive certificates endorsed by PINA, as well as a complementary 1-year membership to PINA’s subscription content, resources and learning community.





Below is a summary of the options & fees that you can choose from in the check-out link above. You will automatically save $120 off these prices by paying on or before May 1st. Payment options include Paypal, Paypal 'Pay Later', Venmo and Apple Pay (if paying on an enabled smartphone), and Credit/Debit card. If you prefer to pay by check or bank transfer, or have any other questions or requests, please use the CONTACT US form below. Participants must be at least 18 years old and be comfortable standing and walking on sloped, uneven ground for prolonged periods of time. A 10% administrative fee is withheld from refunds for cancellations more than 30 days before the start of the course and 20% withheld within 30 days of the course unless the request is accompanied by a letter from a medical professional. Thank you!

Course + Lunches - $1200

This option is for participants who are staying off-site and includes organic lunches with vegetarian, omnivore and gluten-free options.


Course + All Meals - $1450

This option is for participants who are staying off-site and includes includes all meals.

Course + All Meals & Camping- $1700

This option includes 3 organic meals per day with vegetarian, omnivore and gluten-free options, with on-site camping (you bring the gear).


Course + All Meals & Dorm - $1950

This option includes 3 organic meals per day with mixed dorm or prepared tent camping (bedding included). Limited Availability!


Contact Us

Interested in permaculture landscape design & installation support? Start with an in-person or Zoom consultation.


We offer 3 consultation packages for you to choose from.

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