February 12th - 28th, 2010

A Two Week Residential Permaculture Design Course

Larry Korn- A student of Masanobu Fukuoka, helped translate and edit the English language version of The One-Straw Revolution. He is also an educator, consultant, editor and author in the fields of permaculture, natural farming, sustainable landscaping and local food production. After completing his BA degree in Asian Studies at University of California Berkeley, Larry traveled to Japan to see first hand what life was like in Asia. He lived and worked on communes and traditional farms in the Japanese countryside. Among other rural farms, Larry spent several years with Masanobu Fukuoka, a farmer and philosopher, on Shikoku Island. Mr. Fukuoka developed a special no-till way of farming to demonstrate the practical value of his spiritual principles.

Larry returned to the United States and helped translate and edit Mr. Fukuoka’s book, The One-Straw Revolution, which was published by Rodale Press in 1978. He went back to Berkeley to earn degrees in Soil Science and Plant Nutrition. He then worked with the California State Department of Forestry analyzing soil erosion as part of a state-wide study to measure the effectiveness of logging practices. Larry was editor of the Tilth publication, The Future Is Abundant: A Guide to Sustainable Agriculture (1982). It is a practical guide for applying permaculture and natural farming techniques to the Pacific Northwest. Although currently out of print, most of the book is available online.

He learned about landscaping plants and design while working at Berkeley Horticultural Nursery and then at Wintergreen Wholesale Nursery. In 1985, Larry started Mu Landscaping, serving residential and commercial clients in the San Francisco Bay Area for over twenty three years. Larry has taught many permaculture courses throughout the United States and has led workshops on natural farming and local food production. He has also written articles on gardening, natural farming and permaculture for publications such as Mother Earth News, Rodale's Organic Gardening and Tilth, some of which are presented on this website.

Laura Sweany- Laura is a Puget Sound native having enjoyed this distinctive maritime bioregion for over 40 years. She is a 5th generation Washingtonian; farming and gardening are in her blood. Having avidly studied garden design since the late 1980's gives Laura a firm grounding in traditional ornamental design and maintenance.

When Laura discovered the concept of Permaculture in 1999 her entire focus shifted. Gone were the plans for elaborate ornamental beds and water-guzzling lawns; instead Laura realized that gardening could be more than 'making things look pretty'. Now her passion is using the whole systems design principals of Permaculture to create sustainable designs that include the whole site, not just the garden. Using techniques like water catchments, solar harvesting, natural pest management and guild based polycultures to create vibrant and resilient soil, Laura encourages others to recognize the invisible inputs that nature showers each and every property with all the time.

Laura has been teaching permaculture on both a professional and volunteer basis since 2008 and deeply enjoys bringing the wisdom and elegance of permaculture to the world.  Currently she owns and operates her own permaculture design firm, Terra Flora Farm, serving the Seattle/Bellevue area.

Deston Dennison- Deston Denniston of Abundance Consulting LLC will be joining us to fill out our team; he brings with him both a wealth of practical experience and a deep understanding of whole system design.

Deston holds a Masters of Science in Systems Analysis from Washington State University and has been practicing and teaching permaculture for many years at his rural homestead in SW Washington.  Additionally, Deston has held many organizational and project lead positions for Evergreen State College, the City of Olympia and several ecological and spiritually focused groups in the Southwestern Washington area.

A true master designer, with a vast experience in practical construction applications, we are lucky to have Deston's wisdom and wealth of knowledge available to our students.