•  Do you dream of living off the land, but not sure how to start?
• Want to leave the rat race behind, and cultivate a deeper relationship with nature by developing food systems that maintain themselves?
• Do you want to learn the skills to homestead in a sustainable, regenerative way?
• Seeking a community of passionate, innovative people to help you learn, and realise your off-grid, self-sustaining, earth-friendly dreams?

Wheaton Labs, just outside of Missoula, Montana, is looking for persons who are seriously enthusiastic about permaculture. Whether you are ready for a little hard work, or you like a more slow pace, there is a place for you!

The founder of Wheaton Labs is Paul Wheaton, dubbed the Duke of Permaculture by Sepp Holzer. He created Wheaton Labs as a place to test our permaculture projects and further the permaculture agenda. The community is is over 200 acres on two pieces of property (Base Camp and The Labs–see the following post for maps and each property’s unique features) nestled in the forested, Rocky Mountain foothills near Missoula, Montana.

Here at Wheaton Labs, we are keen on building a better word in our own backyard . For a brief summary of what Wheaton Labs is, check out and post questions on this thread here.

During the summer, Wheaton Labs hosts a Permaculture Design Course, the Permaculture Technology Jamboree, as well as other permaculture events throughout the year.  Paul brings in loads of top-notch permaculture professionals.  Guests like Helen Atthowe, Alan Booker and Tim Barker make regular appearances to share their knowledge with us.

During the fall and winter, things don’t slow down much.  We still have events and we enjoy a lot of half-assed holidays.

Join us at Wheaton Labs as a boot in the permaculture bootcamp or as a SEPPer. Continue reading to see which route is the best fit for you!

The Permaculture Bootcamp is an experiential learning environment in which you develop permaculture skills through a little hard work.  You will be required to work 40 hours a week on project work and permaculture innovations.  All 3 meals are provided as well as a warm place to bunk.You’ll grow gardens and food forests to feed yourself and fellow Boots; you’ll learn natural building skills that will house your bootcamp community for years to come. Come try it out with no long-term commitment! Earn tickets to our permaculture design course, permaculture technology jamboree and skip events! if you love it, stay for a while and earn lifetime rent for an acre of your own!

SEPPER

The Sepper option is a great way to test the waters and make sure Wheaton Labs is a good fit.  There are no work commitments, but you will need to be able to pay rent and provide your own food. But the best part of being a SEPPer? You’re an honored guest, and you’re free to do absolutely nothing at all if that’s your wish – lounge in the tipi, roast marshmallows, go on a hike, watch the clouds pass – whatever makes your spirit sing. You’re the guest, and ultimately you can be as hands on or as hands off as charms your soul.

Maybe you would like to build experiences with rocket mass heaters, or building stuff out of roundwood, green woodworking, or wofati construction, or cob stuff, or building hugelkultur, or fermenting foods, bow hunting, driving the excavator or the tractor ….There is a long, long list of possibilities.

Follow the links below to get a sneak peek at what a day in the life is like for a boot and a sepper.

https://permies.com/t/181512f205/permaculture-projects/SEPP-Boot-Stephen-Experience-BRK
https://permies.com/forums/posts/read/47311/?f=205
https://permies.com/forums/posts/read/174418/?f=205
https://permies.com/t/165154f205/permaculture-projects/Grey-Bootcamp-Journal
https://permies.com/t/168047f205/permaculture-projects/Deep-roots-wheaton-labs-rent