This course was amazing.  While I learned a lot of details and techniques about all different aspects of sustainable urban design and gardening, the most important thing I took away was a framework that I could assess ecosystems through.  This framework can be used for any size plot, from a small rental space, to a farm, to a large city.  Kevin and David are very knowledgeable and compliment each other very well.  I really appreciate their sliding scale and offer of work-exchange as well.

I had just finish a Master's degree program 10 months before I started the UPISF PDC with Kevin and David.  I sought the degree specifically to learn concrete ways to make change for a better world.  After just the first few days with Kevin and David in the PDC, I felt that I had more tools, strategies, and systems for affecting change than I had ever gotten in my MUCH more expensive degree program.  With limited funds and a limited schedule, the UPISF PDC, was an immeasurable life changer!

I took this course from September to November 2013. I, like many in my age group, am prone to getting anxious about the future; there are immense challenges facing us in the next 50-70 years, and many harmful practices by individuals, businesses and government will have to be changed to keep the earth habitable. I didn't know what permaculture was exactly, but it sounded like something that aligned with my hopes and beliefs about being environmentally responsible and using long-term strategic thinking to guide our actions, shopping choices and business practices. This permaculture course seemed to address all of these issues and more with a fun and creative lesson plan. Attending one of the intro to permaculture talks that Kevin and David give at community centers made me confident that it would be a worthwhile time/money expenditure. WOW! This course was everything I hoped for and more. Kevin and David offered scientific data on our current environmental issues: there was no sugar-coating the mess we're in. However, they always countered the data on our grim reality (rising sea levels, contaminated aquifers, desertification, atmospheric deterioration, mass species extinction etc) with positive messages illustrating actions that we can take today and in the future to counteract harmful behaviors and restore the land and communities around us. This class showed examples of communities which are actually implementing some of the amazing strategies for water conservation, agro-forestry, consumption reduction, and much much more. These amazing teachers gave analytical comparisons between agricultural practices today (maximizing money) and what the future could look like (maximizing healthy food production for everyone). We talked about the interconnections between politics, healthcare, economics and environment. Much of the class is group-discussion based, and most students were happy and eager to offer insights into these issues based on their life experience. There were so many topics covered, and I felt like I got a serious refresher on biology, physics, economics, political science and loving communication. In all honesty this course gave me hope for the future. I left this class energized to "be the change," and it got me thinking about how to address these serious issues in a kind, compassionate and loving way with those who simply don't feel like they can or should make a difference in their lives. Highly recommend this course.

Two thumbs up! During the semester I was able to get some worms from the folks at Hayes valley, which helped turn my patio garden into an edible utopia.  This course also opened up the door to a great project that I hope is still going strong with SF City Repair.  A place making initiative with cyclist and pedestrians in mind. A lot can come from what David and Kevin have to teach. Ultimately this PDC inspired me to move to New Orleans and work with the urban farming efforts out here.

Having done lots of schooling, this was one of the most stimulating classes I've taken, and a truly trans-disciplinary one. Students all came from different backgrounds and yet were bounded by the same passions and commitments. Kevin and David are exceptional individuals and teachers, who truly live the principles that they teach. They sustained a sense of community and created a safe place for students to express their perspectives and creativity. It is a class that examines some of the most pressing challenges of our time but focuses on new possibilities and collaborative solutions so it definitely rekindles the fire inside!

I attended awesome seminars of Kevin and David last year and was thinking of the relevance of permaculture (its sense and  logic admittedly are there save for its  wide applications and practicality in setting up in urban centers )….Somehow, from the very start  I know that permaculture can make the difference in our lives but access to “vacant lands” to work its principles will be always difficult unless some magnanimous people will donate their lands to you or you buy the land yourself or you get a grant from universities and set up in one secluded part a permaculture haven for all to see and wonder about its secrets and potency for providing us food.  In fact, legislating vacant lands and parks for use as permaculture centers maybe the answer but politics and bureaucracy as usual will only bury the good sense of permaculture in its dusty storage rooms only to be resurrected in the far future by some enlightened politicians. Once again it will take another decade for it to pass giving access to public (even private) lands to practice permaculture.  The internet has a way of bringing you the answers and so I am sharing this link with you on how Dr. Randall did so with so many locations operating as permaculture centers. I have not read the whole article nor seen the video as I am busy posting this to UPISF for me to share to colleagues (brothers and sisters) in the permaculture world. Permaculture, as explained in the lively seminars of Kevin and David and seeing the garden at 18th and Rhode Island will always fascinate me no end, it works but how to make it work far and wide across cultures and access to the land will always be key questions to mull over. I hope we can find this link useful.

I'm in Mumbai now and getting involved with the urban farmers there. it's exciting to work with a new group and share permaculture principles and learn from them too.

Hope you are doing well. maybe SF permaculture guild could one day be a model for the Mumbai permaculture guild. hoping to build more lifeboats all over the world 🙂 Always give your lifeboat example when people out here ask me why i bother 🙂

It's hard to put into words what I got from taking this course, but one thing is for certain, it changed my life! I took the PDC in the winter of 2011 just after moving to San Francisco from Ohio. I was searching for more meaningful work and a community that I truly connected with, this course offered all that and more. Our class became a tight woven community, I have never felt so close to a group of individuals. Kevin and David were beyond gracious in offering this opportunity to me and were such amazing teachers and mentors to have in my life, and still are till to this day. After the course many door opened and I found myself designing, building and teaching youth in urban gardens and schools throughout SF. I feel so honored to be able to be part of this dynamic and robust community of permaculturaly inspired individuals in the Bay Area. This PDC is more then just a class, it's a shift in consciousness, a new way of looking and living in the world. Be prepared to expand your mind!

Inspiring and transformative. Kevin, David and Jay led an action-packed course filled with potlucks, adventures, inspiration, and deep knowledge. Through this course, I've become part of a fertile community of soil-builders and change-makers who continue to grow and work together at Hayes Valley Farm. The Urban Permaculture Institute training set me on my way with the tools, mentorship, and training to thrive. Thank you!

This course helped me realize I can care deeply about our earth, be realistic about the damage we’ve done and challenges we face, and still be an optimist, amazed by the abundance of nature. "If it isn't fun, it isn't permaculture" is just one of the oh so many often chuckle-inducing tidbits of wisdom that I took away from this course. Not only are Kevin and David each extremely knowledgeable, they are kind, humble, and talented teachers who make the lessons interactive and accessible to all.

I took the summer course because roommates said it changed their life.  Well, it certainly changed mine.  I apply the lessons I learned from UPISF on a daily basis.  Prepare to be challenged and transformed! 🙂

David invited me to take this class despite me feeling I didn't need it. Boy was I mistaken ... this class forever transformed my life about the current challenges and more importantly the abundant and incredibly possible SOLUTIONS. I am forever grateful for Kevin, David and Jay for inspiring the strategic, whole-systems, solutionary inside me.

I learned a great deal about Permaculture design in the Spring 2009 PDC with David Cody and Kevin Bayuk. David has a unique way of inspiring passion for the conscious design of one's life, immediate environments, and global systems. A masterful Permaculturist with great vision and clean implementation strategies. A natural Systems Thinker, talented observer, and an organic Wikipedia holding a wealth of knowledge in breadth AND depth.

The PDC with David planted many seeds within me, some of which have germinated in my life, and one of which is blossoming through my Masters program in Organization Development and my work with the US Forest Service. Thank you, David, for the call/invitation to action!

The UPISF permaculture courses are absolutely invaluable, and the best value for money that I know of in the permaculture world. I would take the course over every year, because every time I've come back to sit in on a class I've gained a new perspective even on material I already knew. Kevin and David are both extremely skilled teachers deeply enmeshed in the permaculture revolution. You'll learn to make permaculture your own, not just copy others' methods.

I feel extremely fortunate and privileged to have been able to take Kevin and David's UPISF course this past summer. As instructors they are highly knowledgeable, but it is the spirit with which they teach the class that is invaluable. Through a balanced mix of lectures, field trips and hands-on workshops, Kevin and David teach the principles of permaculture with a 'language of possibility,' and their positivity and excitement for the subject matter is infectious. The community Kevin and David are able to create through the class is unlike other learning environments I have been in before and they truly are role models for how to apply permaculture beyond gardens and landscapes to all aspects of our daily life...,

... not to mention that they connected me to my dream job!

This course changed the direction of my life. I went from a waiter that occasionally gardened, kinda wondering around, to a grad student in urban planning focused on urban agriculture, as well as a project coordinator for a neighborhood food system in San Jose. The course just blew me away by teaching a system of observation and interaction that will serve me well till the end of my days. Thank you David and Kevin. Keep on keepin' on. To everyone else, take the leap and enjoy their wisdom.

As someone who came into the UPISF course with almost no knowledge of permaculture or gardening even but with a considerable appreciation for the ecological and social challenges we face, what I found particularly refreshing and valuable was a framework for addressing these issues in ways that go beyond reaction and damage control.

David and Kevin both have an incredible wealth of knowledge, and though they have somewhat different teaching styles they are able to pull off a tag-team style of teaching really well. In addition to the sometimes overwhelming quantity of information possessed between the two of them, they also both seem very conscious and sensitive to creating anti-oppressive spaces and are very encouraging of a dialogue between students and teachers.

This course opened my eyes to a lot of really amazing stuff, and it's really cool for someone like me who knows almost nothing about plants to have the opportunity to get some hands-on experience both through the course and by taking advantage of the garden at 18th and Rhode Island. There's so much more to learn, but this was a real great way to start and I absolutely recommend it.

Kevin & David are world class designers & teachers! This class was inspiring, interesting, eye-opening, and encouraging. They made the course accessible to the urban lifestyle, and applicable to the urban setting. There is a lot of FUN hands-on experience, as well as great discussion in classroom time. Many PDCs are a two-week intensive that cost more than twice as much.  I heartfully recommend this course to anyone you will learn, be inspired, and be empowered! People are our greatest resource!

I took this class ~2 years ago and it still impacts my daily life. I find connections in my activities and design work that make much more sense now from the perspective of permaculture. Through Kevin's calm passion and David's excited energy I learned not only this whole-systems design philosophy, but also a lot more about my self, other people and the world we live in. No matter what your background, taking the class with these excellent teachers will benefit anyone who cares about the planet

Discovering permaculture and taking this course has filled me with an abundance of hope about our capacity to regenerate the Earth, and live in balance and harmony with the cycles and inhabitants of nature. I feel truly fortunate to have had Kevin and David as my first permie teachers for not only the incredible amounts of knowledge and experience both shared with us, but for their inclusive and kind nature. I esp. loved the urban slant of this training, which is such a current issue worldwide.

This class gave me hope for the future and a new awareness of possibilities.  David Cody and Kevin Bayuk are excellent teachers, who offer expertise, along with high doses of humor, enthusiasm, energy and humility.  The course introduces a visionary framework and an abundant set of regenerative practices and resources.  Inspiring creative and critical thinking, the course propels on-going learning applicable to everyday contexts from composting, to teaching, to community development and beyond.

Kevin & David's enthusiasm for permaculture is infectious. They create a great environment for everyone to participate and share ideas. They provide a wealth of information, but encourage you to apply your knowledge how you best see fit and will be the first to say there is no one right way. I met an amazing, diverse group of people in this course, discovered a community that is committed to bringing about change, and feel like I now possess the knowledge and tools to make a difference.

I earned my PDC December 2012. David and Kevin are truly amazing teachers;  I have learned so much from them and the community as a whole. Since the class, I have become very involved with volunteering at a few urban farms in SF; not only do I get my hands dirty but I also help to direct and teach volunteers as well as participate on an administrative level.  I hope to develop this into a career but until then, I am content to learn & teach others.  People Care, Earth Care, & Fair Share!

I'll keep it short and sweet. If you aren't trained in permaculture then you simply aren't prepared to deal with the looming planetary crises. If you want any sort of design job 10 years from now, you need to be trained in permaculture. As luck would have it, we have some of the world's best teachers right here in the Bay Area. This class is Wigg Party approved.

I enrolled in UPISF's PDC course in the summer of 2011 while living in San Francisco. I am a high school biology and environmental science teacher who has extensive ecological research field experience, building experience and gardening/beekeeping experience. What I loved most about this course was that it provided a framework  on which I could hang all of my previous experiences onto in order to build a cohesive whole - Dave and Kevin are great guys full of great information. Take this class!

The PDC has been an amazing experience! I have not only learned so many instant solutions to help our planet from todays mistreatment, but also have really felt the importance of what family and community really is. This experience was very healing to me in many ways, and now I am facing the next transformational stage in my life. A big thanks to Kevin Bayuk and David Cody for all the wonderful work of  "creating conditions condusive to all life".

I enrolled in UPI’s pdc after resigning my job hoping to find a more fulfilling path. I’m usually pretty skeptical about a short class’ capacity to result in deep learning, but I came away from David and Kevin’s class with quite a bit of practical knowledge and experience. I also, and maybe more importantly, finished the class with a renewed sense of possibilities and hope for the future. Although we face many challenges, there is much we can do starting right where we stand. Inspiring!