In the Last update I began a long-term design/consult project on a 1,300-acre farm in southern Mississippi, USA. The 'Client' is very amenable to the prospect of increasing the current yield by making favorable earthworks improvements that will endure over time, while enhancing the land's natural features.

Additionally, there are several members of the community who have shown great interest in the 'science'. As a result, I was encouraged to offer a Permaculture Design Course for them. Not having a Permaculture Teacher's Certificate, I was reluctant, however, after an exchange of messages with the PRI management and due consideration, I opted to offer the entire 72-hour Geoff Lawton DVD Course as a 'facilitator', and had 2 students who attended every session and fillied numerous notebooks with their notes!

We began the course in September and met only on Saturdays, concluding in November; and they both returned very-well articulated Design plans for portions of this project. There were several other community residents who were able to attend portions of the course, but were also handicapped by other assignments from time to time. ALL of them are enthusiastic to participate as much as their other services will allow!

The two who I have issued certificates to (from my company Harmony Permaculture), produced such first-class Design presentations that I have gained their permission to include them in the overall 1300-acre plan. So, at present we have a "Demonstration-site" authorized close to their Community Center, and the other two design-plans flank the demonstration-site on the south and northeast of the Community Center. In this way, the community members and residents will have a good exposure to the potential possiblities throughout the property.

Here, every little bit of progress is cautiously executed because there are numerous individuals who will be affected by any and all changes. Therefore, the key to such an endeavor is to "get everyone on the same page" with a "Vision Statement" that they can ALL agree on... This was accomplished just recently, and should be ratified soon.

Meanwhile, back to the drawing board!

Louis S. Bernier
(Harmony Permaculture)