The essential criteria for LAND Learners and LAND Centres in England

The LAND criteria are benchmarks to ensure that visitors know they are experiencing an excellent and accessible embodiment of permaculture design.

Note that the network in ScotLAND have developed slightly different criteria. The demonstration network in Wales (Tir Dysgu) is in development.

LAND Learners are:

  1. working towards becoming a LAND Centre and fulfilling all the criteria below.
  2. maintaining Permaculture Association membership.
  3. committed to working with LAND tutors to develop their project.

LAND Centres must:

  1. Have a design that uses the ethics, principles and methods of permaculture.
  2. Be committed to their project development in the medium and long term.
  3. Have at least one key project member with a Permaculture Design Course certificate.
  4. Be willing to share skills and relevant information with other permaculture projects, volunteers and visitors via the Permaculture Association website.
  5. Maintain Permaculture Association membership. 
  6. Be willing to explain to visitors and volunteers how permaculture is put into practice on their site, in person and through interpretative signage.
  7. Be available to welcome and receive volunteers and visitors on at least 15 occasions a year (minimum numbers and a charge can be set by the Centre).
  8. Have appropriate insurance policies, health & safety procedures and risk assessments.
  9. Display membership of (and a weblink for) the LAND project on project websites and on the actual site.
  10. Receive feedback, including a biennial check.

LAND Centres are expected to meet all of the above criteria.

 

There are also five desirable activities for LAND Centres

They should:

  1. Have educational and training resources available for visitors.
  2. Have an ongoing programme of courses and events.        
  3. Be willing to attend and host regional skill-sharing and training events.
  4. Have an active programme of research. This may include: ongoing record keeping of planting and yields; records of inputs and outputs such as those affecting fertility and energy harvesting/usage; systematic photographic recording of the site; other experimental activities.
  5. Be willing to contribute to LAND project monitoring and evaluation.



These are the updated criteria, valid from August 2013. They supersede the 2009 criteria.