Permaculture Research Institute Cold Climate

"It's easy to feel isolated, overwhelmed, and hopeless but permaculture gives me a way to be positive and proactive."

PRI tackles the complex challenges faced by our society today by practical, hands-on, permaculture solutions in our cold climate region.

2013 was a wonderful year for PRI. We just wrapped up the third year of the the Urban Farming Certification Program, a groundbreaking, permaculture-based, comprehensive 9 month training program that weaves together classroom work, individual mentoring, and hands-on practical farming experience that help create abundant urban spaces, skilled farmers, and community leaders in the local foods movement.  We have certified 75 farmers over the past 3 years, and are currently accepting applications for a class of 30 for 2014

Last year, we also successfully launched an Apprenticeship Program offering experiential training that places new 
farmers with permaculture farmers on established sites. This program is being expanded to include 8 host sites in 2014, for which we are currently accepting applications as well. 

To top it off, Nature’s Edge Designs (NED) program launched two new permaculture farmers: Tiny Diner restaurant with local food, solar energy and composting, and the Ranch, a local foods hub in the Longfellow neighborhood. NED also partnered with Hope Community to develop an integrative food campus with a 4,000 sq ft urban farm and over six satellite farms. We will continue to work with them on this project over the next year.

YOU CAN HELP

We need your support now to continue to offer high quality programming, and for supporting new community projects.  For more information, visit our website - www.pricoldclimate.org.

*A donation of $30 or more provides you an annual membership to PRI Cold Climate that helps us grow our programming and support the needs of our community.

We have big dreams for 2014. We want to provide new opportunities to connect and learn from one another through expanded skillshares, events and guest workshops.  We want to link urban and rural permaculture work through a regional innovation hub, allowing members to strengthen and deepen their learning across the region, and we want to deepen our educational work by offering an Advanced Permaculture Series. However, we cannot do these things without your help. Please donate today to support a vibrant permaculture community in cold climates. 

OUR STORY

As a global community we are living in a time of immense challenge, confronting issues such as climate change, population growth, loss of biodiversity and peak oil. PRI Cold Climate provides leadership by tackling these problems and designing ways for living sustainably in colder climates. We are a community of learners, designers, and problem-solvers focused on small-scale, low-tech solutions that work in accordance with natural principles and reconnect people with nature in their daily lives. Our organization is guided by permaculture ethics - Care for the Earth, Care for People, and Share the Surplus. We believe that people, by working together and applying permaculture design principles in their lives, can create a culture that restores health to our ecosystems and our communities. For more information, visit our website at www.pricoldclimate.org.

OUR PROGRAMS

The PERMACULTURE COLLABORATIVE engages members and supporters in building a sustainable life by hosting community-building and capacity-building events such as skill shares, film festivals, design charettes, and community celebrations.

The EDUCATION program develops cold climate permaculture curriculum, provides learning opportunities for all ages and learning styles, and mentors new teachers.  In 2013 we offered 70 workshops on a varity of topics, and will do the same in 2014! In addition, our 9 month Urban Farmer Certification is entering its third year and we are launching an Apprenticeship program to meet the increasing demand for high production organic urban agriculture. 

The NATURE'S EDGE DESIGNS program brings community spaces - places where we work, gather and play - to life by building relationships between people and nature.  We work with communities to design and install projects, host design competitions, and develop products such as Map Your Place: A Permaculture Workbook for Growing Food.

YOU CAN HELP US MAKE OUR DREAMS A REALITY - donate today. Support the growing permaculture movement by supporting PRI Cold Climate.

For more information on PRI Cold Climate, visit our website - www.pricoldclimate.org.