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 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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.