Want to dig up more knowledge alongside experts in the field…

Permaculture Designer Amanda Harris and renowned Syntropic Agriculture teacher, Namaste Messerschmidt, are hosting our inaugural four day Regenerative Agriculture course at Playa Viva on July 27-31, 2023.

Permaculture seeks to recognize and create overlap between human needs and ecological functions. It is a bridge between traditional, indigenous knowledge, modern science and innovative technologies, and regenerative social design.

We will blend permaculture principles and syntropic agriculture theory and techniques to discuss, understand and install dynamic agroforestry systems on a one-acre plot of degraded land. We will showcase techniques and practices for you to take home to any climate around the world, focusing on natural patterns and the regenerative management of food production at every strata layer. 

To rehabilitate land, we must first take care of ourselves; and a course at Playa Viva would not be complete without daily yoga practices on giant platforms with ocean views, and delicious homemade meals from organic, farm-fresh ingredients throughout the day.

You will get your hands dirty in the field designing from concept patterns to details, and have time to rinse off in the ocean as the sun sets each evening. 

We invite you to join us for this dynamic experience on July 27-31, 2023; which will be taught in both English and Spanish. Every spot reserved and purchased by our Playa Viva community will open a space for a local agriculturist to also participate.

Please be sure to select your accommodation preference when registering. 

We offer shared luxury suites for three to four people; private individual rooms if you prefer to sleep alone; and the option to find your own accommodations in Zihuatanejo or close by and paying a set price for the meals during the course. We will also offer limited camping options on the Permaculture Farm. 

Yoga to start the day + a full breakfast at the Playa Viva hotel restaurant. 

Introduction to the Principles of Permaculture and Agroforestry

Jumping into the course, we will continue the morning session with successional agroforestry theory focused on the basic concepts of implementation and management of the syntroipic systems. These concepts are essential to planning, maintenance and the health of productive systems. We will blend theory with practical experiences at several points during the day. 

Dinner and cocktails at sunset by the beach. 

The following principles will be covered during the first day sessions:

● Strata: How plants behave in space, considering the quantity and quality of light that plants need to develop healthily.
● Natural Succession: How plants behave over time, how long do they it takes to reach its full life cycle or reach maturity in its stratum.
● Ground Cover: The importance of maintaining a ground always covered with  organic material and how to plan a system to keep it covered.
● Consortia: How to combine plants in a successional agroforestry, explanation and example how to make these combinations.

Full breakfast at the Playa Viva hotel + lunch on the permaculture farm. 

We will start with theory on how to plan a consortium of species in an agroforestry system applying the principles discussed in the first session -strata, succession and coverage of the soil. A practical planning exercise of a system will be carried out, assessing the producer's objective in terms of quantities and products to be produced, considering all the variables of your property: climate, soil quality, land leveling, positioning relative to the sun, etc. 

After these approaches are presented and discussed, the implementation of the area will begin with: 

● Soil preparation: The topic of how to properly prepare the soil for the species to plant and the area to implement. Our goal is for you to understand the characteristics of the soil where plants and agroforestry systems thrive, and to understand how and when preparation needs attention; and finally, how to use an agroforestry design to recover  soil over time.

● Ground cover: The type of cover that is most suitable for the species to be explored will be explored, focusing on how to obtain organic matter in and above the soil, and how to cover the beds and the surface where in an agroforestry system.

● Planting: We will start the practical implementation in the field. 

Yoga at sunset on the platform by the beach + dinner and farm inspired cocktails at the hotel. 

Full breakfast at the hotel + a fresh lunch in the shade on the Permaculture farm. 

We will continue to plant the large agroforestry site with your help. When the sun warms up, we will move into a little bit more theory to close the space. 

● Management: Theoretical explanation, demonstration and practical application of pruning and management techniques of the land in its different phases of development.

● Systematization of practices: Review and reinforcement of what was practiced in the field – group dynamics.

● Closing: Open space for questions and evaluation.

Sunset swimming and yoga to unwind + Dinner and drinks at the Playa Viva hotel. 

Morning yoga with beach views. 

Full breakfast at the hotel. 

Pool, ocean and relaxing. 

Departure from Playa Viva.