Introduction

What is Permaculture?

Permaculture is a design system that enables us to recognise, utilise and enhance the resources of a particular site for the benefit of humans and all other species. It involves utilising the areas closest to houses and settlements for production of food and the areas at greater distance for nature conservation. Permaculture logically extends into ethical investment, cooperative community design, ecologically sound building practices, sustainable land management, and social justice for all.

Design Philosophy

Underpinning Values

Organic food production in the home garden is grass roots sedition - the most simple yet effective means of undermining an unsustainable status quo.

Gardening is a form of agriculture. It competes for the same resources - soil, water, nutrients, mulch and labour. If it isn't productive then it is wasteful of these resources.

We can make a difference. We must make a difference.

Productive organic gardening provides fresh, nutritious, tasty food and avoids soil degradation, water wastage, biochemical pollution, and fossil fuel consumption in production, harvesting, transport, processing, storage, sale and delivery.

Think globally. Act locally.

Your Garden

Your garden design can include:

• effective structural elements to use and create natural microclimates
• a wide biodiversity of productive plants and appropriate animals
• organic vegetable garden of an appropriate scale including annual rotational beds and perennial beds
• an orchard of climate suitable fruit and nut trees
• preferential use of onsite resources, recycled resources, sustainably produced resources

Background

Training

Permaculture Design Certificate in 1990 with Philip Booth.
Revised in 1994 with David Holmgren.
Permaculture Certificate IV with Robyn Francis in 2009.

Experience

Applying Permaculture principles to various sites in the Southern Highlands
Teaching and co-ordinating local introductory and full PDC courses
Editing the local journal of cool climate Permaculture The Permacultivator

Award

Diploma in Permaculture in 2002