Essential Skills for Sustainable Living

In 2008, we began our journey into permaculture, initially inspired by the idea of building an energy-efficient home and growing our food. We wanted to eliminate rent, electricity, and water bills and produce a food forest to replace our grocery expenses. Ultimately, we envisioned creating something beautiful, low-maintenance, and cost-effective that would give us the freedom to share time with our loved ones and enjoy life—a system that would transform us from consumers to producers to heal our lives while helping to regenerate the planet.

For 15 years, we’ve dedicated our lives to experimenting, documenting, and refining this system, always focused on sustainability and economics. We aimed to be as self-sufficient as possible and modern comfortable, minimizing off-site inputs and maximizing the dollar-per-hour value of our work.

After many years of living off-grid, we achieved a super efficient, productive ecosystem with a green homestead, food forest, and gardens that produce a complete diet. And we want to share it with everyone interested in becoming self-sufficient in the tropics!

With just four hours of weekly gardening, we yield nearly $10,000 worth of food (compared with our local grocery store's non-organic products) on 2,000 square meters (1/2 acre).

In this course, we’ve documented everything you need to make it easy to replicate. It’s the transformative step-by-step guide we wish we had when we started!

If you live in the tropics and want to build resilience, reduce your grocery costs, or create an economically and environmentally sustainable lifestyle, this course is for you. Whether you're seeking to create a garden that produces literal tons of food in a few hours a week, hoping to build resilience against economic issues or job loss, or enjoy the satisfaction of gardening and connecting with nature, this course offers a blueprint for success.

Transform your relationship with nature and the land—join us and fast-track your journey toward a more efficient, resilient, and sustainable life!

Example Garden with Crop Area and Nutrient Charts

Let's look at how to grow our diet! We look at an example garden of a complete diet for a couple. We see how much space is needed for our mini farm & food forest. Our Crop Area and Nutrient Charts allow us to see the yield of the system and calculate how much of our diet they provide. This template is based on our diet and yields. It shows how we can grow a complete diet for a couple in just 2000m². Then you can modify it to fit your diet, scale it down for a smaller area, or expand it - as we do to feed on-site students and local restaurants. Growing a lot of nutritious food has never been simpler!

Food Forest

We mimic the natural patterns of the forest with edible plants and trees. This creates an ecosystem for wildlife while producing food for us! It is low maintenance as the main work required is organizing pruned materials. It absorbs as much sunlight as possible by ensuring any open areas are filled with mulch species. In tropical regions, the yield of starches and proteins per acre of staple crops matches or exceeds that of annual crops. This is one of the most energy-efficient food production systems!

Main Takeaways:

 ✓ Master Sustainable Living and Gain True Independence: Unlock 170+ expert lessons to build a regenerative lifestyle — from a green home and wellness kitchen to lush food forests and abundant gardens. Whether you're driven to live a truly self-sufficient life or simply want to savor the joy of growing your own food, this course empowers you to create resilient, sustainable systems. Embrace the freedom to shape your future and experience the profound connection of living in harmony with nature.

 ✓ Step-by-step, Practical Learning: Follow easy, shot-on-farm video tutorials that break down each stage of building your self-sufficient homestead. Learn at your own pace, with full access to all resources so you never feel overwhelmed. Feel confident and motivated every step of the way!

 ✓ Grow a Complete, Nutrient-Dense Diet: Learn to grow a food forest and gardens for your family's needs, from proteins and fats to essential vitamins and minerals. Whether you have a small space or a larger plot, you’ll grow a diet tailored to your needs. Take control of your health and food security.

 ✓ Master Land Assessment Before You Buy
Learn how to evaluate your land or potential properties with the permaculture design chapter, which guides you through reading the landscape to identify key features like water sources, soil quality, sunlight patterns, and natural water flow. Make informed decisions when purchasing land and ensure your future homestead has the foundations for a thriving, self-reliant lifestyle.

 ✓ Customizable Crop Area & Nutrient Chart: Easily plan how much land you need to meet your family’s yearly nutritional needs. Use real garden examples to design a balanced diet and grow the proteins, carbs, vitamins, and minerals that matter most. Optimize your space with confidence.

 ✓ Complete Diet Garden Design Template

Design a productive garden that provides everything your family needs. This easy-to-follow template helps you optimize your available space for a balanced, abundant harvest. Whether you have 200m² (1/20 of an acre) and want to grow vegetables, berries, and fruits to create a complete diet for a couple, or plan to scale up like we do to produce 7,000+ plates of food annually for ourselves, guests, and students, this guide is for you.

 ✓ Essential Tools for Success
Gain access to a comprehensive Tools List to equip yourself at every stage of your homesteading journey. With the right tools, your process will be smooth, efficient, and stress-free.

 ✓ Wellness Kitchen Recipes
Transition from farm-to-table effortlessly with delicious, nutritious recipes. Stock your pantry and turn your harvest into meals your family will love.

 ✓ Join a Supportive Community
Connect with fellow members and receive feedback from experienced teachers. Join a network of like-minded individuals and have a voice in future updates.

 ✓ Stay Up to Date
Get regular content updates and important resources to keep growing and evolving. Your journey to self-reliance never stops.

Comprehensive Curriculum: Your Tropical Permaculture Handbook

The Ultimate Compendium and Companion for Every Stage of Your Sustainable Living Journey

An ever-evolving resource that grows with you!

1 Welcome to the Course

Begin your transformative adventure into the world of Tropical Permaculture. Dive into comprehensive, practical knowledge that will redefine your relationship with nature, food, and sustainable living. Get ready to create the life you've always dreamed of!

2 Defining Your Needs: Example Garden & Diet Design

• Example Garden & Crop Area and Nutrient Chart
  Learn to design a garden that meets your nutritional needs. We'll guide you through creating a balanced diet right in your backyard using specialised tools like crop area plans and nutrient charts.
• Space, Time, and Costs
  Optimize your garden based on the space you have, the time you can dedicate, and your budget. We detail how we produce our diet within a few hours a week, setup costs, and return on investment.
• How We Grow Our Nutrients
  This chapter is a case study on how we grow our family's nutritional needs by focusing on easy-to-grow perennials, protein-rich plants, and natural sources of vital vitamins and minerals, creating a self-sufficient and health-promoting food system.
• Nutrients By Plant Type
  Explore the nutritional profiles of various plants. Make informed decisions about what to grow based on the essential vitamins and minerals they provide.

• Complete Diet Example 
  This Template details our garden and shows all the spacing, the different components, and how they connect. We use it as a quick but comprehensive guide when giving consultations to other farmers.

• Small Area Example
  See how limited spaces can yield abundant harvests. Get practical examples and layouts tailored for small gardens that are big on productivity.
• High-Value Example
  Focus on cultivating high-value crops. Learn which plants offer the most nutritional and economic benefits, ensuring the best return on your efforts.
• Tropical Mid-elevation Example
  Tailor your garden to mid-elevation tropical climates. Overcome unique challenges with specialized strategies for these environments.

3 Permaculture Design: Process & Application

• Site Analysis
  Become adept at reading the landscape. Learn to assess climate, soil, water sources, and other crucial factors influencing your design.
• Site Design
  Translate your analysis into a functional and efficient garden layout. Incorporate permaculture principles to create a harmonious ecosystem.
• Implementation Process
  Turn plans into action with a step-by-step guide. From planting to infrastructure, learn best practices for bringing your design to life.
• Fertility, Soil, and Regeneration
  Unlock the secrets of fertile soil. Explore composting, mulching, and natural amendments that regenerate the soils and keep your plants thriving sustainably.

4 Food Forest

• Food Forest Overview & Layout
  Create a self-sustaining food forest that mimics natural ecosystems. Design layered plantings that provide diverse yields and ecological benefits.
• Trees & Bushes
  Select and care for various tropical trees and bushes. Learn about species that thrive in your climate and how to nurture them.
• Crop Circles
  Master the technique of planting certain crops in circles to maximize growth and synergy among these tropical staples.
• Food Forest Intercrop
  Integrate hardy annual crops into sunny areas of the food forest.
• Fertility Layer
  Implement ground covers and nitrogen-fixing plants. These layers enrich the soil, reduce weeds, and improve water retention. 

5 Mini Farm

• Mini Farm Intro and Layout
  Design a compact yet highly productive mini farm. We'll guide you through creating a diversified space to feed your household.
• Vegetable and Root Garden
  Grow a wide array of vegetables and root crops. Learn intensive gardening techniques suited for tropical climates. And planting schedule to ensure a continuous supply. 
• Hillside Vegetable and Root Garden Variation
  Turn slopes or difficult areas into productive gardens. Address erosion and accessibility with innovative hillside gardening methods.
• Mulch Patch
  Cultivate special grasses for a sustainable mulch source to power your garden. Improve soil health while providing essential ground cover.
• Herb Garden
  Establish a lush herb garden for culinary and medicinal use. Gain tips on propagation, maintenance, and harvesting.
• Grains and Beans Patch
  Introduce nutrient-dense grains, like Adlai, to your farm. Learn cultivation and harvesting techniques. Utilize companion planting with corn and beans. Boost soil nitrogen and maximize land use efficiency.
• Compost
  Create nutrient-rich compost from organic waste. Turn kitchen scraps and garden debris into "black gold" for your vegetable garden.
• Biochar
  Learn to produce biochar to enhance soil fertility. Improve nutrient retention and support beneficial microorganisms.
• Nursery & Seed Saving
  Propagate plants and save seeds to ensure a continuous supply. Preserve heirloom varieties and reduce dependency on external sources.
• Pest Control and Plant Health
  Manage pests organically. Identify common issues and implement natural remedies to keep your plants healthy.
• Irrigation Pond
  Develop water sources that support irrigation needs. Design ponds that also enhance biodiversity and aesthetic appeal.
• Irrigation/Swimming Pond
  Combine utility and leisure. Create a pond that provides irrigation while offering a refreshing swim spot.

6 Food Forest & Mini Farm Resources

• Tools
  Equip yourself with essential gardening tools. Learn about durable, efficient equipment that eases your workload.
• Sourcing Planting Material, Plant Selection, Buying Trees From A Nursery
  Navigate the complexities of acquiring quality planting materials. Understand how to select the best plants and work effectively with nurseries.

7 Bees and Chickens

• Stingless Bees, Mariola (Tetragonisca angustula)
  Introduce native stingless bees for pollination and honey production. Learn about their care, dividing hives, harvesting honey, and the benefits they bring to your ecosystem.
• Chickens
  Integrate chickens into your waste/fertility system. Covering everything from low maintenance and secure tropical coop design to feeding and how they fit into cycling fertility and pest control.
   

8 Green Home: Energy, Water, Waste & Tools

• Green Home, Energy, Water, and Waste Intro
  Transition to a sustainable lifestyle at home. This section details how we use eco-friendly practices to reduce our environmental footprint.
• Passive Cooling
  Design homes that stay cool naturally. Utilize architectural strategies to minimize energy consumption in tropical climates.
• Building Materials
  Select sustainable and local materials for construction. Build durable structures that blend with the environment.
• Energy (Solar Electricity, Solar Hot Water Heater, Simple Smokeless Stove)
  Embrace renewable energy solutions. Learn to install solar panels, solar water heaters, and efficient stoves to power your home sustainably.
• Water Harvesting
  Capture rainwater effectively. Implement systems to collect, store, filter, and use water, reducing dependency on external sources.
• Waste Water (Black and Grey Management and Cycling)
  Treat and recycle wastewater safely. Learn methods to manage black and grey water, turning waste into a resource.
• Composting Food Waste
  Reduce household waste through composting. Transform food scraps into valuable compost for your garden.
• Solar Dehydrator
  Build a solar dehydrator to preserve surplus produce. An efficient dehydrator is essential for storing grains, beans, nuts, coffee, chocolate, and coconut oil. It also helps people enjoy dried fruits, vegetables, and herbs year-round.
• Green Home Essentials
  Craft natural soaps from coconut oil. Gentle on the skin and free from harmful chemicals. Make an effective, natural insect repellent. Protect yourself from pests without synthetic ingredients.

9 Crop Profiles

Food Forest

Gain in-depth knowledge of tropical food forest crops like Avocado, Mango, Cacao, Jackfruit, and more.  Learn about cultivating, managing, and harvesting these essential tropical trees. 

Crop Circles

Optimize growth and yield by planting crops like Bananas, Plantains, Coconuts, Papaya, and Passion Fruit in patterns that ease maintenance and cycle and build fertility by design.

Food Forest Intercrops

Learn to manage crops like Roselle, Pineapple, Cassava, Taro, and Pumpkin in open, sunny areas of the food forest.

Annual Vegetables

Master the cultivation of Arugula, Bok Choy, Cherry Tomato, Eggplant, Kale, and more. Get tips on planting cycles, pest management, and maximizing harvests.

Perennial Vegetables

Enjoy year-round harvests from Chaya, Katuk, Moringa, Sweet Potato, Turmeric, and more. Understand the long-term care and benefits of these enduring crops.

Grains

Grow staple grains like Adlai (Job's Tears), Common Beans, and Maize. Learn about planting, harvesting, and processing grains suited for tropical climates.

Herbs

Cultivate a rich herb garden with herbs like Rosemary, Aloe Vera, Black Pepper, Culantro, Thyme, Mint, and others. Utilize these herbs for culinary delights and natural remedies.

10. The Wellness Kitchen

Transform your harvest into nourishing meals with essential food processing techniques. Learn how to make everything from coconut milk to fermented tropical delights.

11. Stock Your Pantry

Learn to create pantry staples like tropical flours, coconut oil, and green protein powders. Make fermented products, honey wine, and other essentials that turn your pantry into a tropical treasure trove.

12. Recipe Collection: Nourishing Tropical Flavors

Indulge in a rich variety of tropical recipes, from hearty breakfasts and vibrant salads to delicious plates, sides, sauces, and desserts. Create flavorful dishes like breadfruit gnocci, plantain caramel, and energizing smoothies.

Breakfast

Start your day with tropical-inspired breakfasts, like frozen banana-berry crunch bowl, gallo pinto, and veggie harvest picadillo with corn tortillas.

Salads & Dressings

Brighten your meals with nutrient-packed salads and dressings featuring super greens, papaya slaw, and protein-packed Adlai salads.

Plates

Elevate your farm-to-table dining experience with recipes like breadfruit gnocchi, roasted stuffed eggplant, cassava flatbread, and Caribbean-inspired soups.

Sides

Perfect your plates with tropical sides like spicy coconut plantains, savory red beans, and creamy coconut mash.

Sauces and Dips

Add flavor to your meals with a variety of dips and sauces, from spicy guacamole to katuk & cashew pesto, breadnut dip, and classic green chimichurri.

Dessert

Satisfy your sweet tooth with nutritious tropical treats like fudgy sweet potato brownies, plantain caramel, and Adlai coconut pudding.

Juice & Smoothies

Refresh yourself with vibrant healing juices and smoothies, like the Immortality Smoothie and the Passion & Spice Juice, packed with tropical goodness.