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The forest is the classroom.
The land is the textbook.

Common Ground to Grow, Learn & Share

Silva Culture Commons

From the chaos and turbulence of the modern world, we invite you to return to the wisdom of the forest.

Nestled in the lush rainforest of the Pacific Northwest, Sylva Culture Commons is a community-led, non-profit research and education center for regenerative agroforestry — an interdisciplinary space to grow, learn, and share what the forest has to teach us about living in harmony with each other and the planet.

We're dedicated to exploring and demonstrating how diverse, tree-based agricultural systems can restore degraded landscapes, enhance biodiversity, and support resilient food production — combining modern agro-ecological practice with holistic and traditional perspectives of forest stewardship. Surrounded by thriving forest, lush gardens, and productive orchards, we offer a living laboratory where researchers, students, and practitioners engage in hands-on learning and innovative experimentation.

Through workshops, courses, and community events, we integrate traditional knowledge with modern science to empower people to adopt regenerative practices that heal the earth while providing for human needs.

2026 marks the launch of our educational offerings.

Forest Gardens Farm and Sylva Culture Commons work in close collaboration — Forest Gardens Farm as the host site, Sylva Culture Commons as the organization behind the education and research programs.

People sitting on grass in a rural outdoor setting, participating in a group discussion or workshop, with trees, hills, and parked cars in the background under a cloudy sky.

Permaculture Design Course (PDC)

August 15 - 28, 2026

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Person holding a wooden board with various small natural objects such as pinecones, seeds, and leaves.

Farm Team

Apply to join for the 2027 season

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A man wearing a blue beanie and gray sweater sitting on the ground in a forest, engaged in a prayer or meditation with hands clasped near his face. There are backpacks and water bottles nearby, with a tree and green foliage in the background.

Soil Building Series

A five-part series of one-day workshops

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Group of six friends lying on grass outdoors, some in colorful and whimsical costumes like a unicorn hat and face paint, in a wooded area with trees and a fallen tree trunk in the background.
Group of six friends hiking and celebrating on a mountain overlook with forests and a lake in the background.
People assembling a large wooden geodesic dome structure on a deck outdoors, with some attaching a fabric covering on top.
Two women smiling indoors at a kitchen or food prep area, holding bowls with chopped vegetables and beets.