PINA announces 2025 Permaculture Design Contest Finalists (Beginner Track) — Member voting now open

The Permaculture Institute of North America (PINA) has announced the finalists in the Beginner (New Designer) Track of its 2025 Permaculture Design Contest—four projects that showcase how thoughtful design can regenerate land, nourish communities, and build resilience. PINA member voting is open on PINA’s website; according to the finalists page, members can vote November 10–28, 2025.

Meet the Beginner Track finalists

• Ethan Cohen — Highlands Ranch, CO: “Suburban Ecoscape.” A quarter-acre makeover toward water-wise abundance in a homeowners-association context.
• Khari Jackson — Port Townsend, WA: “North Star Grove.” A 4.77-acre community sanctuary integrating food access, habitat, and long-term forest vision.
• Megan Gilger — Traverse City, MI: “Cottonwood Forest Garden.” A polyculture vineyard concept blending hazelnuts, apples, grapes, asparagus, herbs, managed poultry, and careful water design.
• Skip Shuda — Schuylkill County, PA: “Camp Broken Arrow: A Permaculture Learning Forest.” Twenty-two acres transitioning into an edible, medicinal, and educational woodland landscape.

These four entries represent the breadth of permaculture today—from suburban retrofits to community-owned sanctuaries, agroforestry-inspired food systems, and education-first forest stewardship. If you’re a PINA member, you can review the finalist pages and cast your ballot directly through PINA.

How the contest works (quick refresher)

PINA runs an annual design contest that, in 2025, features a $7,500 Grand Prize (Biochar Solutions theme) and a $2,500 New Designer (Beginner) Award for first-time designers. Finalists are chosen by a judging panel, and members vote online to select winners. Full rules and eligibility are posted by PINA.

Voting window & membership: The finalists page lists the voting period as Nov 10–28, 2025 and notes that voting is open to current PINA members. If you’re not a member yet, you can explore plans and join via PINA’s membership pages.

Why this matters to the PermaGuide community

At PermaGuide, our focus is learning through real-world experiences—from on-site trainings and tours to work-and-travel stays and residencies—and using the News section to share community stories that inspire action. PINA’s finalists embody exactly that spirit: practical design, community benefit, and measurable ecological impact.

This announcement also aligns with PermaGuide’s mission to turn ecological awareness into hands-on practice, building skills, confidence, and social ties along the way. Highlighting living case studies like these helps our readers translate principles into projects—one garden, one neighborhood, and one watershed at a time.

As a platform committed to community-first, experience-based learning and accessible pathways for beginners, we’re excited to see a dedicated track uplifting new designers. Sharing these stories supports our impact pathway—from inspiration to participation to local outcomes such as water harvesting, composting, habitat creation, and food security.

How to get involved

1. Read the finalist profiles and, if you’re a PINA member, vote within the stated window. pina.in
2. Not yet a member? Check PINA’s membership options to participate in future votes and access resources. pina.in
3. Bring it home. Use these designs as inspiration for your own projects. PermaGuide’s upcoming trainings, tours, and work-and-travel listings are designed to help you learn by doing—watch this space.

Additional resources

• PINA Finalists Page (2025): Names, locations, and the voting link for this year’s finalists. pina.in
• PINA 2025 Design Contest Overview: Prize structure, Biochar Grand Prize theme, and submission context. pina.in
• Contest Rules & Dates: Voting eligibility and terms for 2025. pina.in
• Join PINA (Membership): Benefits and plans for North American practitioners and supporters. pina.in
• International Biochar Initiative (IBI): Independent primers and research on biochar’s uses and climate relevance.
  https://biochar-international.org/
• Permaculture Principles (Intro library): Plain-language explanations of the ethics and design principles.
  https://permacultureprinciples.com/
• PINA Main Site (Programs & Resources): Diploma program, regional hubs, calendar, and free guides. pina.in