Whole Systems Design, Llc

What Whole Systems Design, Llc does

Whole Systems Design, LLC is a privately held permaculture design, consulting, and education firm founded in 2004 by Ben Falk (M.A.L.D.) and headquartered in Vermont's Mad River Valley. The company designs, builds, and consults on regenerative land systems for landowners, farmers, educational institutions, and government clients, with named projects including the Hotchkiss School farm campus, the Island School in the Bahamas, the 1,300-acre Teal Farm climate research site, and the Town of Warren, Vermont. Ben Falk has personally conducted over 750 site consultations, and the firm operates two working research farms that serve as proving grounds for methodologies such as rapid topsoil formation, cold-climate rice cultivation, and perennial crop systems built around 30+ underutilized cold-hardy crops.

The company monetizes through a diversified portfolio of professional services and productized offerings: site consultations ($525+ per session online), on-site consulting and earthwork services within approximately 1.5 hours of Central Vermont, master planning for institutions and farms, the Northeast's longest-running Permaculture Design Course (PDC), an apprenticeship program, online workshops (Pond Masterclass 2026, Wood Heating Intensive 2026), private and institutional farm tours ($3,000-$8,500), e-commerce farm store products (honey, seaberry, tree seedlings, comfrey, chainsaw accessories, farm furniture), and Ben Falk's award-winning book 'The Resilient Farm and Homestead' published by Chelsea Green. The book is also a flagship marketing vehicle, paired with a long-running blog, a design vocabulary glossary used in university courses, and a YouTube channel. Distribution combines direct on-site consulting, online consultations, in-person education, and global self-serve e-commerce.

Whole Systems Design is a founder-controlled, bootstrapped LLC with no external investors, parent company, or funding rounds. The team is small and led by Ben Falk and Erica Koch Falk (ND, MEd), supported by a network of regional partners and consultants. The business model is fundamentally capacity-constrained and personal-brand-driven, with growth driven by content production, alumni referrals, and selective geographic expansion to New Hampshire, Maine, the Hudson Valley, and international clients.

Name

Whole Systems Design, Llc

Legal name

Whole Systems Design, LLC

Website

https://wholesystemsdesign.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Whole Systems Design is a Vermont-based permaculture design and consulting firm serving landowners, farmers, schools, and institutions with site planning, regenerative land development, and the Northeast's longest-running Permaculture Design Course.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Moretown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: On-site and remote property/site consultations, master planning, and design services. Revenue is project-based, varying by scope. Includes site consultations ($525+), property selection and evaluation, and land planning/design.
2. Education — Permaculture Design Course (PDC): The company's flagship in-person course, the Northeast's longest-running permaculture course, held at two established research farms. Described as a 'life-changing experience.' Tuition for the 20th Annual course listed at $350 deposit. Registration sold out, indicating strong demand.
3. Online Workshops: Online courses covering permaculture pond masterclass, homesteading skills, wood heating, core site layout, and living resilience topics. Sold directly through dedicated course landing pages. Enrollment noted as 'NOW OPEN' for the Pond Masterclass 2026.
4. Farm Store — Physical Products: E-commerce sales of honey (comb honey, 8oz and 12oz), seaberry (plants, frozen berries, juice), tree seedlings (paw paw, black walnut, oak/chestnut/apple/pear nut trees), comfrey, chainsaw accessories, and custom farm furniture. Most products sold out or on pre-order. Farm tours also sold here.
5. Book Sales — The Resilient Farm and Homestead: Ben Falk's award-winning book published by Chelsea Green Publishing (2013 original, 2024 revised expanded edition). Available for purchase through the farm store and Chelsea Green. Sold out at farm store as of the source date. Price $44.95. Book is also used as a marketing vehicle for the company and its services.
6. Farm Tours: Tours of the Whole Systems Research Farm offered as a premium experience: private tours up to 6 people at $3,000, and business/institutional tours at $8,500. Sold through the farm store.
7. Site Development Services: For local clients within ~1.5 hours of Central Vermont, Ben Falk occasionally deploys his Volvo 160 CL excavator for on-site pond projects, terracing, spring development, and gravity-feed water system installation. Revenue generated through direct project contracting.
8. Speaking Engagements: Ben Falk is engaged for speaking and custom workshops at venues including Bioneers, Omega Institute, and TEDx. Revenue model is appearance/speaking fees for events and conferences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Whole Systems Design provides permaculture-based land consulting, master planning, and site development services to landowners, farmers, schools, and homesteaders across the U.S. and internationally. The firm sells its flagship in-person Permaculture Design Course (the Northeast's longest-running), an apprenticeship program, online workshops, and a farm store selling farm-raised products and Ben Falk's award-winning book.

Product overview

Whole Systems Design is a permaculture design, consulting, and education company offering a unified suite of land-based services. The core offering combines site consultation and master planning services (on-site, remote, and property evaluation) with experiential education through their Permaculture Design Course, apprenticeship program, online workshops, and video content. Physical products include the award-winning book 'The Resilient Farm and Homestead' and farm store items (honey, seaberry products, plant stock, tools, tours). The company operates its own research farm as a proving ground, using it as both a demonstration site and the foundation for their educational offerings. All services, products, and education flow from their 20+ years of regenerative land development experience in Vermont.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Permaculture Design Course (PDC) The Northeast's longest-running permaculture course described as a life-changing experience, emphasizing experiential learning and observation within two established working permaculture research farms. Led by Ben Falk and partners, it teaches the skills, perspectives, and tools needed to activate resilient and regenerative systems in students' own lives, land, and communities.
• Online Permaculture Workshops

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,000–5,000 lbs/acre rice yields on subsoil in cold-climate Vermont, in what may be the coldest rice-growing trial on Earth
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Chelsea Green PublishingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChelsea Green Publishing publishes Ben Falk's 'The Resilient Farm and Homestead' (original 2013, revised 2024). The book serves as a flagship marketing vehicle and revenue stream. Chelsea Green also hosts additional excerpts and reviews on their website, driving mutual brand benefit.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/wholesystems/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/wholesystemsdesign
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whole-systems-design-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Whole Systems Design, Llc