Permaculture Design Course (PDC)

A 12-day course divided into two 6-day sessions:
from July 6 to 12, 2025, and from October 19 to 25, 2025

A CCP program in two one-week sessions—a unique program in France that lets you explore nature at two different stages of life.
The benefits of the program:

Experience two different seasons on our farm: the first week takes place in July, so you can enjoy the highlight of the farming season, with greenhouses full of sun-ripened vegetables. You’ll get hands-on experience in the vegetable gardens, including harvesting, processing vegetables, and tending to fruit trees. In October, you’ll experience the end of the growing season in the permaculture garden with the harvest of squash and sweet potatoes, and the start of winter crops.
Experience the Éco-domaine La Fontaine and the seaside during peak season and the off-season: by joining our permaculture design course, you’ll enjoy the proximity to the sea, walks along the customs officers’ trail between La Fontaine and your accommodations, and summer activities.

A must for anyone seeking serious training in permaculture, a Permaculture Design Course is also a personally transformative experience.
Registration::mathieu.david@ecodomaine-la-fontaine.fr or 06 49 60 80 80
If, like us, you’re aware of the limitations of the current system and want to take concrete action, look no further—this course is the one for you! We promise you’ll come away transformed!

Program

A theoretical program that meets international standards

The program complies with the standards established by the founders of permaculture for obtaining the Permaculture Design Certificate.

In particular, we will cover:

Definition of Permaculture, Its Philosophy, and Its History
The Ethics of Permaculture
The Basic Principles
Design Methodology
Water Management
Energy
The ground
Trees, plants
Food-producing systems (permaculture vegetable garden, fruit forest, etc.)
Animals
Green Building
Low-tech technologies
Human Permaculture: Creating Caring, Sustainable Communities
Urban permaculture, ecovillages
Design Exercises

Upon completion of this training, you will not only have received your Permaculture Design Certificate—the only one recognized internationally—but you will also have:

experienced the joys of a supportive and enriching community
transformed your view of the world
experienced a sustainable lifestyle for nearly two weeks

This course will give you the tools to take concrete action in your daily life to create abundance, be happier, and make a positive impact on the challenges facing today’s world, which lacks a realistic and sustainable vision of the future.

By the end of this training, all participants will know how to create a design—that is, to transform any space to meet the needs of its occupants while enhancing the environment, rather than destroying it, as current strategies do.

But also testimonials and hands-on experienceThe standard 72-hour design course, taught over 12 days, is very intensive and leaves little room for hands-on practice. To ensure a higher-quality learning experience and a better balance, we have chosen to take more time and offer a design course that lasts nearly 12 days.

This allows us to go into greater theoretical detail on each topic, offer you a half-day field trip to an exemplary permaculture project, and put hands-on experience at the heart of the learning process!

On the agenda:

Applying a lime-clay plaster to a bioclimatic greenhouse
Building a Dry Toilet
Seasonal Chores in the Vegetable Garden and at the Micro-Farm
Animal Care at the Eco-Estate
Construction of small-scale energy systems (small photovoltaic system, solar oven)

Éco-Domaine La Fontaine the Ty Louet Eco-Site

This workshop will give you the opportunity to explore two places where the principles of permaculture are emphasized.

Classes (9 a.m.–5 p.m.) will be held at Éco-Domaine la Fontaine, right on the coast. Set amid 12 hectares of meadows and featuring a small vegetable farm that supplies the on-site hotel-restaurant, you’ll spend these 12 days immersed in a place undergoing a transformation toward a regenerative economy. We’ll enjoy vegetarian lunches there, prepared by our head chef.

The Ty Louet Eco-Village, where we’ll sleep, spend our evenings, and live a lifestyle in harmony with the principles of permaculture. We’ll stay and have dinner at this eco-retreat, located a 10-minute bike ride from the Eco-Domaine (in a room, a camping tent, or under the stars for those who love summer skies). For the event, solar showers and dry toilets will be set up, and several participatory projects will be launched as needed.

Terms and Rates

Maximum number of participants: 21

Accommodations: On-site accommodations are required to ensure full immersion in the group and a 100% hands-on experience of the permaculture lifestyle. Accommodations will be either in a double room with separate beds (single-sex; 5 rooms available) or camping.

Dining: Organic vegetarian meals prepared by our kitchen staff (for lunch) and by us (for dinner), using local and seasonal ingredients.

Prices: The tuition for this permaculture design course is 600 € for 12 days, or 50 € per day of training!

In addition to that, there are food costs, the kitchen staff’s wages, and lodging for 12 nights, totaling: