Permaculture Design Certificatе Course
Description
The course is certified by Permaculture Association (UK) & Roots 'n Permaculture. It will help you delve deeper into how we can use permaculture to create rich and beneficial relationships between people, communities, and the environment around them. This includes how to grow food, build homes, and create economies while enriching and caring for nature.
Special emphasis will be placed on creating a temporary community for the duration of the course, in which we will use social permaculture tools — especially sociocracy — to ensure that everyone's needs are taken into account. This way, we can all enjoy living together in a joyful, supportive and inspiring learning environment.
What is "permaculture"?
Permaculture is a design system for creating abundance in all aspects of our lives. Permaculture teaches us how to build natural homes, grow our own food, restore diminished landscapes and ecosystems, catch rainwater, build communities, take care of waste and much more.
The word 'permaculture' historically comes from 'permanent agriculture' and has evolved into 'permanent culture' - it is about living lightly on the planet, and making sure that we can live in harmony with nature while sustaining human activities for many generations to come.
Permaculture is a rigorous and systematic set of tools, ecological principles and methodologies, underpinned by ethics, which help us to design and create this culture of permanence. A culture that allows us to design how we cater for all our needs and the needs of the planet and all its creatures, without exploiting or depriving other humans or creatures of their needs.
The ultimate goal is to create systems that create abundance for all humans, creatures and mother earth, without exploitation of humans, animals or earth’s non renewable resources.
With permaculture insight we can design our inner tranquility, it can be applied to creating integrated and supportive communities, building or retrofitting houses to be more energy efficient, creating ethical businesses and livelihoods, as well as creating rich abundant low maintenance food growing spaces.
What is "sociocracy"?
Sociocracy is a whole system governance and decision making method which is based on and encourages equivalence, transparency, and effectiveness in an organisation. It encourages collaborative innovation, minimises lengthy governance meetings, and helps everyone participate in shaping the decisions that affect them.
During the PDC we will put sociocracy into practice on a daily basis. The first day of the course we establish what every person wants from the course, from which we derive a common vision. We then create a mission and aim on how to achieve our vision. We then embed a feedback mechanism to check if we are meeting these aims, so we can keep adjusting our collaboration every day.
Sociocracy ensures everyone's voice is heard and all our individual and collective needs are met.
Lecturers
Rakesh Rootsman Rak
Chief Instructor "Permaculture Design"
Daniel Dimov
Permaculture Design Instructor
Program
Course objectives
- Identify and understand the basic principles and ethics of permaculture and nature-based systems.
- Developing key skills, mastering a variety of land-reading tools, and creating analysis of various systems, while taking into account client needs.
- Strengthening skills in creating certified projects and gaining experience in designing for a better future.
Location
The gardens of "Sharena Fabrika" are located in the very heart of the Balkans.
The village of Golyama Zhelyazna is on the shore of the Sopot Dam near the town of Troyan and on the border of Central Balkan National Park – one of the largest and most valuable protected areas in Europe. It is part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere program. Learn more about "Central Balkan" national park
Accommodation
The cozy and spacious guest house Au Nature in the village of Golyama Zhelyazna will be fully available to the course participants.
In addition to a comfortable bed for resting after a long and exciting day in the gardens of "Sharena Fabrika", each room has a separate bathroom, terrace, refrigerator, cable TV and internet.
The spacious yard has a covered barbecue, hammocks under the trees, garden furniture and dining facilities.
Requirement
Over 18 years old
Certificate
Permaculture Design Certificate by Permaculture Association of UK
Price
€990 Early Bird
Dates
From: 20/09/2026
Until: 04/10/2026
Duration
2 weeks
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Capacity
17
Entry level
Beginner
Work Language
English
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The Early Bird price is valid for bookings until 31.07.2026.
The standard price of the course after this date is €1110.
The fee covers 14 nights accommodation, meals and all activities included in the course program.
Apply
Training at Sharena Fabrika is an inspiring experience, suitable for both complete beginners and experienced people looking for new directions for development. A new kind of culinary and craft school - a place where taste, creativity and a sustainable lifestyle meet.
