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Permaculture, Personalized for Your Land

Book a free 30-minute consultation with Kenton Zerbin or a member of the Straight Fin Farms × Kenton team. We'll talk through your land, your goals, and the right next step — whether that's our 3-day or 7-day course on the farm, or a custom design path.

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Kenton Zerbin — Certified International Permaculture Teacher Your Instructor
Meet Your Instructor

Kenton Zerbin

Certified International Permaculture Teacher · Regenerative Land Consultant
14+ years teaching Trained by Mollison & Lawton 4 countries · 30+ workshops Founder, Attainable Sustainable Academy

Kenton is an international educator, speaker, and regenerative land consultant. A former high school teacher with a B.Ed. from the University of Alberta, he left the classroom in 2012 to pursue permaculture full-time — training under the field's founders, Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton, in Australia.

Over the past 14 years he's taught across four countries (Canada, Australia, the U.S., and Barbados), led 30+ tiny-home workshops, and founded the Attainable Sustainable Academy. He brings real-world design experience from Canadian homesteads to tropical food forests, and a teacher's gift for making complex systems feel doable.

"Changing the world, one person, one property, one community at a time."

Book a Free Consultation Kenton's Site →
Free 30-Minute Call

Start with a free consultation

Not sure where to begin? Book a free 30-minute call with Kenton or a member of the Straight Fin Farms × Kenton team. No pressure, no sales pitch — just a real conversation about your land, your goals, and whether the upcoming course (or something custom) is the right fit.

  • 30 minutes, one-on-one
  • Talk through your property, your priorities, and your timeline
  • Get an honest recommendation on next steps
  • Decide if the 3-day, 7-day, or a custom path fits
Prefer to talk now?
Available now · Business hours
(416) 254-7104
  • 9 am – 5 pm EST (416) 254-7104
  • After 5 pm EST (416) 254-7104
  • Weekends (416) 254-7104

Book your free consultation

We'll email you within one business day to schedule your 30-minute call.

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The farm is the classroom

At Straight Fin Farms, permaculture isn't a lecture — it's a lived experience. You'll wake up on the land, walk the gardens with morning coffee, and spend your days learning by doing: turning compost, inoculating mushroom logs, designing garden beds, and meeting the bees who pollinate it all.

Our courses are built for real-world application. You leave with a practical toolkit for designing regenerative systems — whether you're planning a backyard garden, a homestead, a neighbourhood co-op, or a commercial farm. Over three or seven days, you'll move from foundational ethics and principles through soil science, food systems, orchards, mushrooms, beekeeping, and ecological design — culminating in your own mini permaculture plan.

Choose the depth that fits your life. Come solo, come with your partner (save 25%), or bring a group. Sleep in the farmhouse, the bunkie, a bell tent, or your own tent under the stars. Every option includes three farm-to-table meals a day.

Choose your format

Two ways to learn. Pick the depth that fits your life — pick the actual date when you enroll.

Weekend Intensive

3-Day Permaculture Intensive

Learn · Build · Apply
📅
Available dates
Fri Aug 14 – Sun Aug 16, 2026 · Mid-summer weekend
Fri Sep 4 – Mon Sep 7, 2026 · Labour Day long weekend
$725CAD
Tuition per person. Meals, materials, and certificate included. Accommodation add-on extra (see below).
  • Foundations + Soil + Compost (Day 1)
  • Food Systems + Orchard + Mushrooms (Day 2)
  • Bees + Biodiversity + Mini Design Project (Day 3)
  • 3 farm-to-table meals per day
  • Fireside reflections each evening
  • Certificate of completion
Sold Out ⭐ Full Immersive Experience

7-Day Immersive Permaculture Course

Design · Build · Live the System
📅
Mon Aug 24 – Sun Aug 30, 2026
7 days of deep instruction · 6 nights (or 7 with Sunday arrival)
$1,625CAD
Tuition per person. Meals, materials, and certificate included. Accommodation add-on extra (see below).
  • Everything in the 3-day intensive, plus:
  • Deeper dive into Zones, Sectors & Design
  • Water systems, drainage & wildlife corridors
  • Full food-forest layering (canopy → roots)
  • Mushroom cultivation on logs and substrate
  • Full beekeeping practical with apiary visit
  • Capstone build day: design & implement a real farm improvement
  • Graduation circle + optional FAIL Series integration
Enroll & Pick Your Date

Choose your specific course date, accommodation, and add-ons on the next page.

What's included

🌱

All course instruction

Every chapter, every hands-on workshop. Taught on the farm itself, with the farm as the classroom.

🍽️

3 farm-to-table meals a day

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner — much of it harvested from the gardens and orchard that morning. Dietary restrictions accommodated.

📘

Course materials & takeaways

Printed workbook, design templates, plant lists, reading recommendations, and your own permaculture design plan.

🎓

Certificate of completion

A recognized certificate acknowledging the full curriculum you completed on the farm.

🔥

Fireside evenings

Reflection, discussion, stories and optional bonfires under the stars — part of the course, not extra.

👥

Community & follow-up

You join the Straight Fin alumni network, with ongoing access to resources, Q&A, and future workshops.

Curriculum, day by day

Switch between the 3-day and 7-day tabs to see how each course flows.

Day 1 · Monday

Foundations of Permaculture & Farm Orientation

Chapter 1 — Welcome to the Ecosystem
Guided farm tour across the 34 acres: garden zones, orchard and berry patches, mushroom areas, composting stations, beekeeping zones, water flow, wildlife corridors. Hands-on: biodiversity walk and observation journal.
Chapter 2 — Principles of Permaculture
The three core ethics (earth care, people care, fair share) and the 12 design principles — mapped onto the farm in real time. Workshop: locate each principle in practice.
Chapter 3 — Zones & Sectors
Designing around human activity (Zone 0–5), and reading natural patterns — wind, sun, water, wildlife. Hands-on: sketch a simple zone map of the property.
Day 2 · Tuesday

Soil Health, Composting & Living Systems

Chapter 4 — Soil as a Living Organism
Soil biology: fungi, bacteria, worms, mycorrhizae. Hands-on: soil sampling and texture testing.
Chapter 5 — Composting Systems
Browns vs greens, temperature, moisture, aeration. Hot, cold, sheet-mulch, and vermicomposting. Hands-on: build a new compost pile.
Chapter 6 — Mulching & Carbon Cycling
Hands-on: apply mulch across the orchard and garden beds.
Day 3 · Wednesday

Vegetable Garden Design & Food Systems

Chapter 7 — Garden Layout & Companion Planting
Annual vs perennial. Companion combinations: tomatoes + basil; beans + corn + squash; pollinator support. Hands-on: plant a biodiversity bed.
Chapter 8 — Succession Planting
Continuous-harvest planning. Workshop: create a 90-day crop plan.
Chapter 9 — Pest Control Through Ecology
Beneficial insects, trap crops, habitat zones — pest management without chemicals.
Day 4 · Thursday

Orchard, Fruits & Berry Systems

Chapter 10 — Food Forest Principles
Layered growing systems: canopy, shrubs, ground cover, root crops, climbers.
Chapter 11 — Orchard Care
Pruning, feeding, disease prevention. Hands-on: prune and feed orchard trees.
Chapter 12 — Berry Ecology
Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries. Hands-on: install mulch rings and pollinator companion species.
Day 5 · Friday

Mushrooms & Forest Ecology

Chapter 13 — Fungi Systems
Decomposition, soil health, tree partnerships.
Chapter 14 — Mushroom Cultivation
Growing on logs, straw beds, indoor substrate bags. Hands-on: inoculate logs or mushroom substrate.
Chapter 15 — Forest Floor Observation
Field lesson: study natural decomposition cycles.
Day 6 · Saturday

Beekeeping & Pollinator Biodiversity

Chapter 16 — Bees in Permaculture
Hive ecology, worker roles, queen health, seasonal cycles.
Chapter 17 — Pollination Systems
Pollinator-friendly landscapes. Hands-on: apiary visit with protective gear.
Chapter 18 — Honey & Ecosystem Services
Workshop: understand how pollination affects crop yield.
Day 7 · Sunday

Integrated Farm Design Project

Chapter 19 — Designing a Mini Permaculture Plan
Participants design a working model for a 1-acre ecosystem including garden, compost, orchard, mushroom area, beehives, water flow, wildlife zones.
Chapter 20 — Final Build Day
Capstone: teams implement one real farm improvement (raised bed, pollinator strip, compost station, or berry patch expansion).
Graduation Circle
Fireside reflection, certificates, optional FAIL Series integration.
Day 1 · Saturday

Foundations + Soil + Compost

Morning
Farm tour · Principles of permaculture · Zone mapping
Afternoon
Soil biology · Compost workshop · Mulching practical
Evening
Fireside reflection and design discussion
Day 2 · Sunday

Food Systems + Orchard + Mushrooms

Morning
Garden design · Companion planting · Hands-on planting
Afternoon
Orchard and berry systems · Fruit tree care · Mushroom inoculation
Evening
Farm-to-table dinner from garden produce
Day 3 · Monday (Labour Day)

Bees + Biodiversity + Mini Design Project

Morning
Beekeeping practical · Pollinator habitat creation
Afternoon
Build a mini permaculture design · Presentations · Closing circle

Where you'll stay

Choose the accommodation that fits your style and budget. All options include the same course experience and meals — the only thing that changes is where you sleep.

Pond View Room (Ensuite)

1 room · most comfortable

Private bedroom with its own ensuite bathroom and views of the pond. Full access to the farmhouse kitchen and living areas.

Private Farmhouse Room

2 rooms available · Mushroom & Beekeepers

Your own private bedroom with a shared bathroom down the hall. Full access to the farmhouse kitchen and living areas.

King Room Dorm Bed

3 beds (King · Queen · Double)

Shared room with three beds — King, Queen, and Double — and a shared bathroom. Most affordable option, great for solo travelers comfortable sharing space.

Bunkie Cabin

1 cabin (1–2 people)

A rustic private cabin on the grounds. Perfect for guests who want seclusion without the tent-life exposure.

Bell Tent Glamping

Multiple tents

Luxury White Duck bell tents with real beds, lanterns, and rugs. All the sensory immersion, none of the backpacker compromises.

Bring Your Own Tent

Unlimited

Budget-friendly eco camping. Pitch where you like (within the designated camping area). Access to farmhouse washrooms and showers.

Full pricing

All prices per person, in CAD. Tuition includes 3 meals a day, all materials, and certificate. Accommodation is optional — you can commute if you prefer. HST will be added at checkout.

Accommodation 3-Day Intensive
(Sep 4–7)		 7-Day Immersive
(Aug 24–30)
No accommodation (commuter) $725$725 + $0 $1,625$1,625 + $0
Bring your own tent $725$725 + $0 $1,625$1,625 + $0
Bell Tent Glamping $950$725 + $225 $2,150$1,625 + $525
Bunkie Cabin $1,000$725 + $275 $2,260$1,625 + $635
King Room Dorm Bed $975$725 + $250 $2,200$1,625 + $575
Private Farmhouse Room (shared bath) $1,125$725 + $400 $2,550$1,625 + $925
Pond View Room (ensuite) $1,225$725 + $500 $2,775$1,625 + $1,150
Shared-booking discount — 25% off tuition + one-room accommodation charge. Booking with a partner, family member, or a friend who's willing to share a room? You save 25% off combined tuition and only pay for one accommodation unit (not two). Example: two people, 7-day, private farmhouse room = ($1,625 × 2 × 0.75) + $1,050 = $2,437.50 + $1,050 = $3,487.50 (vs. $5,350 without the discount — save $1,862.50).

More than a course — a retreat

This isn't a classroom with a permaculture badge on the door. It's a full retreat experience: morning farm chores, sunrise walks through the gardens, shared meals, evening bonfires, and the kind of deep-breath quiet that only a 34-acre farm can provide.

Morning chores & garden walks

Optional start-of-day rituals to connect with the land before the formal sessions begin.

Farm-to-table every meal

Most ingredients come from the farm itself. Wild-foraged, hand-gathered, carefully plated.

Evening bonfires

End each day by the fire. Stories, reflections, quiet — whatever you need.

Scenes from the farm

A few moments from past course weekends — the gardens, the wetland, the woodland, and the evenings around the fire.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need prior permaculture or farming experience?
Not at all. Both courses are designed to take you from foundational principles through practical application. The 3-day intensive moves faster and is a better fit for those with some background; the 7-day immersive has more space for absorbing each topic. Whichever you pick, we meet you where you are.
What does a typical day look like?
7 AM sunrise walk (optional). 8 AM breakfast. 9–12 morning session (lecture + hands-on). 12–1 lunch. 1–5 afternoon session, mostly outdoor hands-on work. 6 PM dinner. Evenings are free or fireside reflection. Schedule flexes with weather and energy.
Can I bring my partner or a friend?
Absolutely — and you get 25% off combined tuition plus only pay for one accommodation unit (not two) when two people share. Works for couples, family members, or friends. Just tick the "Booking for 2 sharing accommodation" box during enrollment and we'll apply the discount.
What about dietary restrictions?
Vegetarian and vegan options are the norm. Gluten-free, dairy-free, nut allergies, and other needs are easily accommodated — just flag them in the booking form and we'll handle the rest.
Is there a cancellation policy?
Yes — we follow a strict policy. Full refund for cancellations more than 30 days before the course start date. No refund within 30 days. You can always transfer your spot to someone else with 48 hours' notice.
Can I just do a single day?
Not on the published dates — the curriculum builds day over day. But if you're interested in a custom one-day workshop or a private group session, email hello@straightfinfarms.com.

Two ways to start

Talk it through first, or jump straight to enrolling for August or September 2026. Either way, we'll meet you where you are.

Book a Free Consultation Enroll in the Course
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