tiny house living - wild harvest - edible flowers - slow fashion natural building materials

THE HOME

ISSUE

TINY HOUSE LIVING - WILD HARVEST - EDIBLE FLOWERS - SLOW FASHION NATURAL BUILDING MATERIALS - ROCKET STOVES - CROP SUCCESSION PLANNING

Beekeeping Naturally

1

lsquoItrsquos not just about the honeyrsquo

wwwbeekeepingnaturallycomau

Beekeeping Courses

Spring and Summer coursesBermagui NSW | Melbourne | Canberra

with KenyanTop BarHives

Naturalorganic

2

FE ATURE 16 MELLIODORA THE ART OF PERMACULTURE LIVING by Kirsten Bradley

20 YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO NATURAL BUILDING MATERIALS by Adam Hickman

26 APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY THE WAY FORWARD by Joel Meadows

31 LIVING TINY by Sian Richards and Adam Hickman

36 RESILIENCE AFTER EARTHQUAKES IN NEPAL by Christine Carroll and Chris Evans

GROW38 CROP SUCCESSION PLANNING PLANTING FOR ABUNDANCE by Michael Hewins

43 PROFILE JULIE FIRTH DRYLANDS PERMACULTURE FARM by Ross Mars

44 GROWING FRUIT AND NUT TREES FROM SEED by Beck Lowe

6 PERMACULTURE AROUND THE WORLD by Morag Gamble

8 PIP PICKS

10 NOTICEBOARD

12 PERMACULTURE PLANT PUMPKIN by Beck Lowe

13 RARE BREEDS AUSTRALIAN GAME FOWLS by Tabitha Bilaniwskyj-Zarins

14 EAT YOUR WEEDS WILD RADISH by Patrick Jones

15 SAVE YOUR SEEDS MUSTARD GREENS by Steve and Kerryn Martin

86 KIDS PAGES

89 COURSE PROVIDERS DIRECTORY

96 CD amp BOOK REVIEWS

CONTENTS

16

20

38

3

DESIGN78 DESIGNING AN URBAN OASIS by Megan Norgate

84 DESIGNING CHICKENS INTO THE VEGIE GARDEN by Robyn Rosenfeldt

NURTURE 70 INSPIRING TEENS TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY by Dean and Annette Turner

74 GARDENERrsquoS HANDSCRUB by Tabitha Emma

76 THE ART OF FRUGAL HEDONISM by Annie Raser-Rowland

THRI V E 62 SLOW FASHION by Maude Farrugia

66 EASY-PEASY $4 SINGLET DRESS by Annie Werner

68 HOW TO MAKE A BOOMERANG BAG by Boomerang Bags

E AT 54 WILD HARVEST by Robyn Rosenfeldt

60 EDIBLE FLOWERS by Sarah Price

BUILD46 PERMACULTURE PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT by Maude Farrugia

49 ROCKET STOVES by Joel Meadows and Dan Palmer

52 PROFILE PHIL GALL ARCHITECT by Ben Buggy

52

54

70

74 78

4

CONTRIBUTORSJOEL MEADOWSJoel draws on a deep well of experi-ence (as an energy auditor sustain-able transport consultant and environ-mental educator among other things) which he combines with a rare knack for explaining technical issues in a clear and engaging way that cuts straight to the heart of matters Joel has just fin-ished owner-building his permaculture-designed property and strawbale house which features impressive passive cooling heating lighting and water strategies rocket stoves for heating and cooking and a beautiful curved roofline that follows the path of the winter sun When hersquos not doing these things Joel makes sculptures of steel and wood runs cider workshops is a cooker of food an avid gardener radio DJ and musician ANNIE RASER ROWLANDAnnie Raser-Rowland is a horticul-turalist working at CERES nursery in Melbourne and a ponderer and inves-tigator of matters ecological cultural and culinary She has made visual art for much of her life but in recent years has found herself distracted by a pressing urge to write A swag of scribblings about consumption our relationships to landscape and making meaning and ecstasy in a modern first world soci-ety have resulted including two co-authored books The Weed Foragerrsquos Handbook A Guide to Edible and Medicinal Weeds in Australia (Hyland House Publishing 2012) and The Art of Fru-gal Hedonism a Guide to spending Less While Enjoying Every-thing More (Melliodora Publishing 2016)

ADAM HICKMANAdamrsquos been a builder for ten years starting in the UK Since moving to Australia three years ago he has been helping to run Agari Farm and teaching workshops all over Australia including earthship strawbale mud brick light earth super adobe cob and tiny houses He has also trained with some of the best natural builders around the world Now specialising in roundwood timber framing and tiny houses Adam provides a friendly ethical and holistic outlook for designing and building a home

Publisher Editor Art Director Robyn RosenfeldtDesign and Illustration Grace West North South Grace WestSub Editor Bernadette OrsquoLearyEditorial Assistant Bethany PatchProofreader Peter AscotSocial Media Marketing and Events Manager Maude FarrugiaAdvertising Grant Webster and Aliza LevyEditorial Advisor John ChampagneCover Art Bronwyn Seedeen Pattern PieShop Manager and Admin Felicie VachonEditorial enquiries email robynpipmagazinecomauAdvertising enquiries advertisingpipmagazinecomau (02) 6100 4606 or download our media kit at pipmagazinecomauadvertiseDirectory listings and classifieds enquiries hellopipmagazinecomauSubmissions We would love to hear from you if you have ideas for articles Contact us with the pitch before you write it robynpipmagazinecomauStockists enquiries If you would like to stock Pip contact hellopipmagazinecomau (02) 6100 4606

Contributors Boomerang Bags Ben Buggy Kirsten Bradley Christine Carroll Amy Dowling Tabitha Emma Chris Evans Maude Farrugia Morag Gamble Michael Hewins Adam Hickman Patrick Jones Jade Kavanagh Tabitha Bilaniwskyj-Zarins Beck Lowe Ross Mars Steve Martin Kerryn Martin Joel Meadows Megan Norgate Dan Palmer Bethany Patch Sarah Price Annie Raser-Rowland Robyn Rosen-feldt Sian Richards Dean Turner Annette Turner Annie Werner

Photographers and illustrators Rohan Anderson Laurie Benson Kirsten Bradley Emma Byrnes Keren Dobia Amy Dowling Tabitha Emma Chris Evans Maude Farrugia Morag Gamble Patrick Jones Frances Howe Jade Kavanagh Jodie Lane Knitionary Recipes Ian Lillington Beck Lowe Ross Mars Steve Martin Kerryn Martin Joel Meadows Dan Palmer Sarah Price Olive Rose Robyn Rosenfeldt Dean Turner Annette Turner Hiromi Yuasa

Pip Magazine is printed in Australia by Printgraphics on FSC and recycled paper and printed with vegetable inks

Pip Magazine is a published independently by Robyn Rosenfeldt PO Box 172 Pambula NSW 2549 ABN 14 513061 540

Copyright Pip Magazine is subject to copyright in its entirety The content may not be reproduced in any form without the permission of the publisher and authors Views expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of the publisher To the extent permitted by law the publisher disclaims any liability whatsoever in relation to advice representation statement conclusion or opinion expressed in Pip Magazine

5

I was asked recently what brought me to the place I am in today the editor of a permaculture magazine living in the country on a property with an evolv-ing permaculture design teaching permaculture growing food eating well and trying to bring up my kids to understand and re-spect the planet

It made me stop and think havenrsquot I always been this way inclined Irsquove always felt a connec-tion to nature but I defi-nitely wasnrsquot brought up as

the daughter of activists or living on a commune I grew up in middle class suburban Melbourne

So what caused me to choose the life I have right now When did I start to have this affinity with the earth and want-ing to do the best for her Was it annual camping trips im-mersed in nature Was it watching my dad garden when I was a child and growing my first carrots Was it getting ar-rested for protesting against uranium mining Was it the feel-ing of belonging I had among others who felt the same way Was it setting up my own garden and growing my own food Was it completing my permaculture design course

Well it was all of those things It has been a slow evolution a gradual opening up and a growing awareness of what effect my actions and choices have not only on the planet but on other humans and society in general

Irsquove been learning constantly since I started Pip Magazine with each issue I gain a greater awareness and understanding

of a whole range of topics For example after putting togeth-er the article on SLOW FASHION (page 62) I am even more aware of the clothes I buy or donrsquot buy and the ripple effect those choices create

We are all on different parts of this journey with different levels of awareness and different priorities and life situations that affect how close to our ideal we can live I still struggle with making the right choices all the time and with three kids and a whole range of external demands I donrsquot always However I am empowered to make informed decisions to do my bit to create the world I do want

Itrsquos good to aim high to aspire to live in the best way pos-sible We can look up to people like David Holmgren and Su Dennett and how they live their life at Melliodora (MELLIO-DORA THE ART OF PERMACULTURE LIVING page 16) We can inform ourselves as best we can so that we know what effect our actions have and we can always think about ndash and question ndash the choices we make in our daily lives

I hope each issue of Pip Magazine gives you information and inspiration to help you make informed choices in your life

Happy reading

Robyn

EDITORIAL

COVER ARTIST BRONWYN SEEDEEN

wwwpatternpiecom

6

PERMACULTURE AROUND THE WORLDWords by Morag Gamble Photos courtesy of projects

moragethosfoundationorg wwwour-permaculture-lifeblogspotorg

Sunseed is a pioneering permaculture centre and community in the drylands of southern Spain Celebrating its thirtieth anniversary in October 2016 Sunseed con-tinues to be a hands-on centre for learning about arid permaculture green energy eco-construction and low-impact living

Places such as Sunseed are crucial in such environments They offer young people in particular a chance to experience what it means to live and work in community to become hands-on with appropriate technologies and natural building and to learn dryland management and how to grow food successfully

This intentional community is focused on sustainability education and practical re-search A transient population of volunteers interns and researchers regularly join the core members in the off-grid ecovillage of Los Molinos del Riacuteo Aguas Together they work and learn to explore demonstrate develop and share ways to live more sustainably

Around the village there are many working examples of appropriate technology natural building and permaculture gardening Throughout the area are gardens with herbs flowers vegetables tree fruits and nuts These are fed by Sunseedrsquos own compost systems and ancient Moorish irrigation channels

Volunteers and visitors are welcome For more information see wwwsunseedorguk

NE VER ENDING FOOD MALAWI AFRICANever Ending Food is a permaculture demonstration and education organisation working to help address malnutrition holistically im-prove childrenrsquos access to healthy food and promote food sovereign-ty Itrsquos led by Stacia Nordin (a dietician) and Kristof Nordin (a social worker) who have been in Malawi since 1997

The Nordins moved to Malawi to help with HIV prevention through the US Peace Corps They learned quickly that to address malnutri-tion they would need to improve the quality and diversity of food and to do that they needed to improve soil fertility Thatrsquos when they came across permaculture They now help to teach permaculture across Malawi supporting communities and schools to set up abundant and sustainable food systems Their own house is a demonstration plot where people can visit to learn about their approach The Nordins believe that permaculture has great potential to benefit nutrition and health increase income potential and make a significant difference to living conditions

Given Malawirsquos year-round growing season access to water and large genetic base of local food crops the local people have seen how permaculture can help to create abundant gardens with a diversity of food And how permaculture farmers have on average better food security a more diverse diet and higher crop yield than conventional farmers By making simple and affordable improvements to family farms Malawian families can increase their overall household food security significantly

For more information see wwwneverendingfoodorg See wwwekukhanyeniorg

SUNSEED DESERT TECHNOLOGY ANDALUSIA SPAIN

7

Sack gardening is changing the lives of many people in the slums of Kibera just five kilometres from Nairobirsquos city centre With a population of around 170 000 Kibera is the largest slum in Africa and one of the largest in the world Sixty per cent of Nairobirsquos population are slum dwellers living on just six per cent of the land There is little space limited electricity scarce fresh water poor toilet facilities and HIV is rampant

Urban agriculture had less effect on food security here because of the lack of land and the cost of food around half the residents have no work while others exist on less than one dollar a day Most children eat only one proper meal each day However since the introduction of sack gardening in 2008 by French NGO and humanitarian organi-sation Solidariteacutes Internationalis things have improved The initiative began as a way to support jobless youth after a spasm of post-election violence in 2008 and provided them with healthy food at the same time

Solidariteacutes Internationalis provides free seedlings advice and as-sistance to people who want to take advantage of the public space in slums The sacks contain soil and animal manure and use small rocks for drainage Both the tops and sides of the sacks are used for grow-ing and there are now thousands spread throughout the slums Kibera farmers grow a range of vegetables and leafy greens including kale spinach onions tomatoes and arrowroot

Sack gardening is now supporting 22 109 households directly ben-efitting over 110 000 people By 2020 it is estimated that thirty-five to forty million urban Africans will depend on urban agriculture for their food and strategies such as this will help people to feed themselves

Visitors and volunteers are welcome in Kibera For more information see wwwsolidaritesorgen

The Green School with its towering wall-less bamboo class-rooms surrounded by permaculture gardens is cultivating a new generation of eco-leaders

The school began in 2008 with ninety students Eight years later it has over 380 children attending including many lo-cal students and offers a natural holistic and student-centred education from pre-kindergarten to Year 12 The school con-tinues to receive international acclaim for the education revo-lution it is inspiring

The beautiful and impressive bamboo structures provide a free-flowing natural learning environment The campus is filled with a diversity of food in its many permaculture gardens nursery medicinal gardens and food forests In addition the Kul Kul Farm within walking distance also grows food for the school and offers training

The school is an inspirational place to visit Imagine how amazing it would be to go to school there with visitors such as Vandana Shiva and Jane Goodall Green School Australia anyone

Volunteers and visitors are welcome For more information see wwwgreenschoolorg

A SCHOOL IN A PERMACULTURE FARM GREEN SCHOOL BALI INDONESIA

SACK GARDENING IN SLUMS KIBERA KENYA AFRICA

8

PIP PICKSUnlike western gardening tools the Aussie Ho Mi is an ergonomic hand-held hoe which uses a more comfortable and natural action and is based on a traditional Korean design

This tool is lightweight and perfectly balanced It rotates easily in the hand from the sharp pointed working edge to the equally sharp wide edge Dig weed cultivate ridge plant scalpndashthis tool will do everything Once you start to use it you will find yourself hooked

Handcrafted in Australia by artisan tool makers FD Ryan the Aussie Ho Mi is made from high carbon steel heat-treated for maximum strength and sharpened to a knife edge With care your Ho Mi will last a lifetime

Available on the Pip website wwwpipmagazinecomau $30

Based in Byron Bay eco-friendly de-sign company iBark have developed the worldrsquos first sustainably produced iPhone case Each case (available for iPhone 66S) is made from Australian hardwood and a non-GMO corn starch resin mak-ing it 100 per cent non-toxic and 99 per cent biodegradable The cases are light-weight ergonomic and water-resistant

The phone covers are priced between $4495 and $4995 and are available online at wwwibarkcomau with free shipping within Australia

Skin of the Earth is a skincare range that offers products that are 100 per cent organic and Australian They are made from locally grown and wild harvested medicinal herbs and contain no harmful chemicals

All Skin of the Earth products are non-toxic natural and perfect for sensitive skin

Healing balm ($20) is a fantastic multipurpose skin healing balm for all skin types particularly great for psoriasis It contains herbs with an-tibacterial anti inflammatory anti-fungal and wound-healing properties

Peppermint Tooth powder ($12) is a traditional clay-based alternative to toothpaste It contains magnesium and calcium is anti-fungal and re-moves any heavy metal residue in the mouth from eating processed foods

Coconut Deodorant ($8) is a balm alternative to roll-on deodorant It is gentle on sensitive skin antibacterial and deodorising

For orders contact smilinsianyhotmailcom

SKIN OF THE E ARTH SKINCARE R ANGE

IBARK IPHONE COV ERS

AUSTR ALIAN MADE AUSSIE HO MI ASIAN HANDHELD HOE

9

Twelve months of seasonal produce and recipes from some of Australiarsquos finest producers and food creators including Grown and Gathered Milkwood Good Life Per-maculture and many more With stunning photography and a recipe for each month this calendar will take pride of place on your kitchen wall wwwpipmagazinecomaushop $1495

2017 P IP MAGAZINE K ITCHEN GARDEN CALENDAR

2017 KITCHEN GARDEN CALENDAR

Twelve months of seasonal produce and recipes

SEL JAK BLANKE TS

GOOD LIFE PERMACULTURE SAUERKR AUT TE A TOWELS

Seljak Brand based in Tasmania makes recy-cled wool blankets using offcuts from the fac-tory floor ndash seventy per cent recycled merino wool a thirty per cent blend of recycled alpaca and mohair and polyester for strength The Seljak Original Fringe blanket is a luxurious utility blanket durable for outside use yet soft enough for the home Seljak Brand diverts waste from landfill and restores value to this beautiful Australian re-source for your cosiness Whatrsquos more for every ten blankets sold Seljak Brand donates one to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Victoria The Seljak Original Fringe blankets are avail-able from wwwseljakbrandcomau and at a small selection of retailers in Australia and New Zealand $179

One of Good Life Permaculturersquos education tea towels this lsquodelicious and nutritious sauer-krautrsquo variety is not only educational (it shows you how to make your own sauerkraut from scratch) but also beautiful and useful The guys at Good Life Permaculture love creating art that is educational and inspiring but even better when it serves a practical purpose

Each printed image is designed and drawn by the team at Good Life Permaculture in Hobart Tasmania and is printed with wa-ter-based ink on an oatmeal-coloured fabric All Good Life Permaculture tea towels are made from one hundred per cent organic cot-ton and manufactured in India The delicious and nutritious sauerkraut tea towel is available from the Pip website wwwpipmagazinecomaushop $20 plus postage

10

NOTICEBOARDTo place your event here email hellopipmagazinecomau

STUDY PERMACULTURE IN 2017 AT CQUNIVERSITYAustraliarsquos Graduate Certificate in Permaculture Design at CQUniversity provides practical respons-es to the growing global need to adapt sustainably to social and environmental changes

The first of its kind in the world the graduate certificate provides benefits such as the flexibili-ty to study by distance education with residential schools hosted by industry partners offering practi-cal learning experiences

Applications are open in August for commence-ment in Term 1 2017

Visit wwwcqueduau to enrol For more infor-mation contact Dr Keri Chiveralls at kchiverallscqueduau

Some of Australiarsquos most environmentally progressive homes will be on show at Sustainable House Day on Sun-day 11 September 2016

This is a great opportunity for thousands of people to visit some of Australiarsquos leading green homes Sustain-able House Day gives visitors a chance to inspect first-hand houses that have been designed built or renovated with sustainability in mind as well as the opportunity to talk to owners and receive unbiased advice To register your home or find homes in your area go to wwwsus-tainablehousedaycom

Making Permaculture Stronger is a new project making waves in the global permaculture commu-nity Starting with the idea that like anything per-maculture has room for improvement this project is opening a space for high-calibre collaborative inquiry into areas of permaculture that have the po-tential to be made even better The initial focus has been a series of posts looking at the way perma-culturalists define and understand design process Initiated by Dan Palmer (founder of permablitznet and VeryEdibleGardenscom) you can check it out and get involved here wwwMakingPermacultureStrongernet

SUSTAINABLE HOUSE DAY 11 SEPTEMBER 2016

lsquoDYNAMIC GROUPS DYNAMIC LEARNINGrsquoTE ACHER TR AINING CRE ATI V E FAC IL ITATION amp GROUP LE ADERSHIP COURSE

MAKING PERMACULTURE STRONGER

with Robin Clayfield 20ndash26 August 2016Crystal Waters Permaculture Eco-VillageCelebrating over 23 years of training permaculture teach-ers globallyFully catered six-day residential course Only one in Aus-tralia this yearMany leading permaculture teachers have trained with Robin and incorporate lsquoDynamic Groupsrsquo skills into their coursesContact robinearthcarecomau wwwdynamicgroupscomau

11

IPC INDIA 2017 26 NOVndash2 DEC 2017Hosted at Hyderabad Telangana State India by Aranya Ag-ricultural Alternatives

The theme of the IPCIndia2017 is lsquoTowards Healthy Societiesrsquo with special emphasis on women as agents of change in building sustainable communities

The hosts have over 1000 permaculture gardens and hundreds of farms to demonstrate good permaculture projects in India

Vandana Shiva will be invited to be a keynote speaker at this conference and Robyn Francis has promised to help teach the PDC leading up to the Conference PDC hold-ers and teachers with expertise and specialised knowledge who can guide and supervise interns and volunteers will undertake the responsibility of a viable project with the help of students on the farm in areas such as chicken tractor keyhole vegetable beds biochar dry toilets banana circles wind breaks water harvesting greywater and blackwater management andor any other areas of their choice Visit wwwipcindia2017org for more info

APC13 (AUSTR ALIAN PERMACULTURE CON V ERGENCE) AND E XPO PERTH WA 2ndash5 OC TOBER 20162 Oct Expo Open to the public There will be a number of talks presentations and workshops highlighting different as-pects of permaculture3-5 Oct Convergence Concurrent sessions on various themes Keynote Speakers Anni Macbeth and Rob Hopkins PDC requiredPermaculture ToursndashThursday and Friday 6ndash7 Oct Two one-day and two two-day toursCourses running before and after Food Facilitators Training Course with Robina McCurdyFuture Scenarios Workshop with David HolmgrenAdvanced Principles Course with David HolmgrenUrban Permaculture Facilitators Training with Robina Mc-CurdyAdvanced Teaching Course with Rosemary Morrow and Robin ClayfieldAdvanced Design Course with Graham Bell and Ross Mars Guest David Holmgrenwwwapc13org

12

PUMPKINWords and photo by Beck Lowe

P E R MACU LT U R E

P L A N T

BOTANICAL NAME Cucurbita spp for example C maxima C pepo and C moschataCOMMON NAMES pumpkin winter squash (USA) ORIGIN Central America and Southern USA DESCRIPTION a fast-growing annual vine producing abun-dant leaf-mass and large edible fruits

PERMACULTURE USES bull A particularly useful food plant Can be cooked in sweet

or savoury dishes ndash roast pumpkin and pumpkin soup are classics The seeds are edible containing good amounts of zinc among other nutrients some cultivars have hull-less seeds making them easy to eat Flowers are edible shoots and young leaves can be added to stir-fries or steamed and the whole vine can be chopped and slow-cooked in soups and stews

bull Seeds are also used medicinally bull Many cultivars can be stored for monthsbull Cut into chunks pumpkins make a great stockfeed for

goats cows and even chickensbull Lush growth and spreading habit make the plant an ex-

cellent living mulch shading the ground and supressing competing plants it is particularly useful under establish-ing fruit trees

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONSPumpkins need plenty of water and have a high nutrient re-quirement Otherwise they are very low maintenance and easy to grow They can be planted into a pocket of compost

or mulched heavily Watering is best done direct to the soil as wet leaves can make plants vulnerable to fungal diseases There is a quite bewildering array of cultivars available differ-ent shapes sizes and colours as well as big variations in fla-vour sweetness and texture Tougher skinned cultivars tend to keep better but will be harder to cut Very large-fruited cultivars can be fun to grow but the fruit quality will be low For those with less room there are bush cultivars available such as Golden Nugget which fit more neatly into the vegie garden Pumpkin vines can also be grown onto shed roofs or up fences or established trees to save space They can be used to create a shady summer area when grown on a trellis

PROPAGATIONPumpkins will grow in almost any climate and can be planted year round in warmer frost-free areas Dry months are better for growing in tropical areas as hot wet weather can lead to fungal problems In cool or frosty areas seeds can be started in spring in a greenhouse and transplanted out ndash a large pot should be used as they will outgrow it rapidly In other areas seed can be planted straight into the ground Seed is easy to save scoop it out wash it (soaking for a day helps) and ensure it is dry before storing Pumpkins will cross-pollinate with other cultivars of the same species so to keep a strain pure grow one cultivar of each species per year or hand pollinate flowers and seal them against other pollen entering

13

AUSTRALIAN GAME Words and photos by Tabitha Bilaniwskyj-Zarins

R A R E B R E E DS

If you want very hardy impressive chickens for your system or backyard then the Australian Game or Australian Pit Game breeds are definitely worth considering

CHARACTERISTICSBoth the Australian Game and Australian Pit Game fowls are

bull hardy compact and robustbull easy to maintainbull very good layers particularly the Pit Game hens

(as good as Australian Langshans)bull good table birds (see weights below) bull available in a variety of beautiful colours including

blackred creel (speckled) pile (white) and duckwing (silver and gold)

bull easily quietened and usually very gentle although females can be feisty (take care when introducing new stock)

Relative weights Australian Game males over 545 kg fe-males over 475 kg and bantam males 15 kg females 12 kg Australian Pit Game males 27 kg and females 20 kg

WHAT IS GAME POULTRYGame poultry is also known as lsquohard featherrsquo The most fa-miliar chickens are lsquosoft featherrsquo types with flouncy soft fluffy feathers such as ISA Brown and Australorps Hard feather chickens are characterised by feathers held close to the body a solid and muscular feel when held and eagle-like heads

Like their softer counterparts hard feather chickens come in standard and bantam sizes The Australian Game and Australian Pit Game are the only two Australian hard feather chickens

ORIGINBoth breeds have been developed from a mix of Old English and Asian birds The Australian Game was originally known as Colonial Game Both were bred for cockfighting by officers of the early settlements When this was banned farmers in the Windsor Hawkesbury and Hunter Regions of NSW contin-ued to develop the breeds for hardiness and table properties and for exhibition

Even though the breedsrsquo origins were similar they have very different physical characteristics Australian Game birds are tall long legged and thickset Australian Pit Game birds are short solid and muscular Both are hardy birds in the orchard or in any permaculture system providing both good table and egg-laying properties

MAINTENANCE AND HOUSINGFeed wheat to keep the feathers tight Daily free ranging will supplement the diet and increase egg production Exercise is also important

Housing need not be too complicated an indooroutdoor section with roosting perches that is secure is sufficient A surplus of male birds is easily housed in individual box pens these are good for quietening the birds and also for pairing with hens to breed

14

WILD RADISHWords and photo by Patrick Jones

Wild radish Raphanus raphanistrum is a valuable winter and spring vegetable in the brassica family Whether the plant is native to the Mediterranean area or Asia is disputed but it is now a globalised wild food that is loved by foragers far and wide

The plant has various common names around the world including cadlock jointed charlock and runch The botanical name for wild radish derives from Greek meaning to appear quickly its germination is rapid although the plant recedes if the soil remains undisturbed Being a pioneer species it likes disturbed soil Where it springs up may indicate acidity although it will grow in most soil types It is a frost-hardy te-nacious plant In a climate-changed future we may be eating a lot more plants like this

Wild radish grows in all Australian states ndash it suits tem-perate and subalpine climates and has also been found in subtropical areas it hasnrsquot naturalised in the Northern Terri-tory While it can be a great food source around four million hectares of it are sprayed each year in Australia with about $40 million worth of herbicide according to the Herbiguide website wwwherbiguidecomau While itrsquos usually broadacre cropping farms that spray the plants always be careful where you forage it ndash your gut flora doesnrsquot need any more residual pesticides

DESCRIPTIONWild radish is sometimes a biannual but mostly an annual plant with a much branched rosette habit The leaves are rough grow quite large and are generally toothed The stalks can grow to one metre The flowers are very typical of bras-

sicas they vary in colour including white yellow pink cream and lilac and they form in clusters at the ends of the stem branches The tap roots are generally small

USESWe eat a lot of weeds when our produce garden enters a pe-riod of lower productivity over the winter months and we al-ways use wild radish when making hearty stews bone broths and curries We cook the leaves and stems well to soften and reduce fibres and harvest only the very young leaves for eat-ing raw in salads open sandwiches or juices

The tubers although quite insignificant in size taste just like cultivated radish tubers and are useful to include in winter soups stews and salads The flowers are also excellent in salads The roots can be used to make anti-fungal extract The plant contains useful glucosinolates that help make min-erals and nutrients more bioavailable The plant is also an awesome green manure over the winter months and bees love the flowers

If you have a question about weeds for Patrick you can email him at theartistasfamilygmailcom

E AT YO U R W E E DS

15

MUSTARD GREENS Words and photos by Steve and Kerryn Martin from the Lost Seed

Mustard greens Brassica juncea are a little-known leafy vege-table typically grown over winter as they are quite frost-tol-erant They tolerate a wide range of growing conditions and are easy to grow Both leaves and flowers may be used raw in salads or cooked like spinach (which removes the hot fla-vour) With the onset of warmer weather these attractive plants will quickly set seed and produce hundreds of tiny seeds per plant LIFE CYCLE AND POLLINATION An annual ndash will produce seed in the first year Both selfndash and crossndashpollinating although self-fertile plants will produce more seeds if regularly visited by insects Will cross with Chi-nese mustard and other mustards To ensure purity grow va-rieties at least 400 m apart HOW TO SAVE SEEDSelect from only the strongest plants remove those that show signs of disease or which bolt early Plants produce flowering stalks to 12 m high so they are best staked Pods will mature progressively on the one plant As branches turn brown cut them place them in a large paper bag and leave to dry in a cool dry well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight Alternatively when the majority of seed pods on the bush are brown and dry and the seeds rattle inside harvest the whole bush then place it in a hessian bag and leave to dry Seeds will be ready after one to five days or when seeds become too hard to dent with a fingernail Dry seed pods are easily shattered and will readily release their seed otherwise rub pods between your hands causing them to break open For larger quantities place

the dried plant material in a tub and tread on the pods Discard any stems and pods then screen and winnow the remaining seed Use a piece of felt to remove any of the finer unwanted material simply stretch it over a large flat board place that on an incline and roll the seed over it ndash any chaff will adhere to the board leaving the seed at the bottom to be collected

TIP Use isolation cages if you want to save seeds of more than one variety or if you are worried about cross-pollination from neighbours and canrsquot achieve the distance required to keep seed pure Poly-pipe hoops set over metal star pickets and then covered with insect barrier mesh will give the required height for the flowering stalks and also keep out any unwant-ed insects To ensure good seed set introduce insects into the cage at flowering time Blowfly pupae (maggots ndash yes thatrsquos right) are the best option as they donrsquot carry unwanted pollen with them ndash either collect your own using rotten meat or ask for lsquoready to hatch blowfly pupaersquo at your local fishing bait store

SEED STORAGE AND VIABILITYStore dried seed in a cool dry place away from direct sun-light The seed may remain viable for up to four years

Find them at thelostseedcomau

SAV E YO U R S E E DS

16

Robyn Rosenfeldt

This page clockwise from top Melliodora kitchen Su milking the goats cheesemaking with goats milk Su and David the kitchen garden in summer kid goat Following page clockwise from top left harvesting honey the greenhouse in summer the kitchen garden in summer

17

FE

ATU

RE

If yoursquove studied read or participated in any perma-culture-related activities in Australia (or far beyond) then yoursquoll be aware of Melliodora the outstanding domestic-scale permaculture demonstration site sit-uated in the village of Hepburn Victoria

Melliodora is perhaps one of the best known sites in the world which demonstrates permaculture design on a house-hold scale But it just feels like a happy and healthy place with a garden full of nut fruit and forage trees berries vegetables geese and goats mudbrick homes and lives worth living

Founded by David Holmgren (co-originator of permacul-ture) and Su Dennett and their family in 1985 this site has progressed from a blackberry-covered hillside to a one hect-are settlement of self-reliance and low-energy living at its best

Therersquos so much to take in mudbrick passive-solar hous-es forest gardens energy-efficient approaches to all aspects of living water-in-landscape design and animal systems Itrsquos hard to imagine the site before as a scramble of brambles on a bare hill

David and Su chose the site on the edge of Hepburn village rather than a more rural location for a few reasons ndash as David explains lsquoI didnrsquot want to become a chauffeur service spend-ing most of my time driving to and from town for soccer prac-tice school music and grabbing bits and piecesrsquo So finding land where most of lifersquos immediate needs were accessible by foot or the local bus was a priority for this family

In addition the parcel of land that Melliodora sits on was cheap With a slightly west facing slope covered in brambles a small seasonal creek running through it and its location on the edge of town it was neither urban nor rural and it need-ed lots of work to make it pretty In the 1980s the site didnrsquot impress most potential buyers However from David and Sursquos perspective there were many advantages it bordered a public creek (later to become the Spring Creek Community Forest) they liked the community in the area and the climate the pos-

sible water catchment looked good and the site couldnrsquot be shaded out by neighbouring propertiesrsquo plantings

Thirty years later Melliodora has made the most of the sitersquos advantages allayed the disadvantages as much as possible and continues to evolve as a living permaculture system

SELF-RELIANT AND CONNECTED David and Su developed Melliodora with self-reliance in mind but they also wanted to be connected to their community lsquoThe principles of self-reliance and personal responsibili-ty have been central to everything wersquove done from being owner-builders and growing our own food to homebirth and homeschoolingrsquo David explains lsquoThis is not driven by a desire to separate ourselves from society but a strong belief that itrsquos through citizens taking more not less responsibility for their own needs that the necessary social revolution to a sustain-able society can be best initiatedrsquo

With this goal in mind they have developed many integrated systems at Melliodora Organic waste from the house cycles through chickens and compost systems and back into garden soil The goats graze on brambles pasture public land and woody trimmings from the orchard systems turning cellulose into protein rich milk The water that falls on the property is caught and stored in various ways for drinking irrigation potential energy and thermal mass The orchards nut groves main crops and kitchen gardens all provide seasonal food sup-ply for the residents An integrated Community Supported Ag-riculture and wholefood co-op pickup point run from the main garage provides social glue and resilience

HOUSE DESIGNAs with any homestead the lsquobig housersquo is the beating heart A smaller mudbricktimbercrete cottage is further down the hill between the two dams built for Davidrsquos mother Venie it now houses another family There is also a tiny wooden rsquotea housersquo above the top dam

MELLIODORA THE ART OF PERMACULTURE LIVING

Words and photos by Kirsten Bradley

U S E A N D VA LU E R E N E WA B L E R E S O U R C E S A N D S E R V I C E S

18

As an owner-builder project the big house took David Su and friends two years to complete and is as unique as its inhabitants This is not set-and-forget living ndash although the house is well designed and built it evolves as they live in it many small changes and improvements have been and will continue to be made as needed

PASSIVE SOLAR In the central Victorian climate getting passive heating and cooling right makes a big difference to the energy inputs and year-round comfort of a home The big house faces north to catch the low winter sun and draw it inside Solar ener-gy warms the internal thermal mass of the house created by mudbrick walls and floor

In summer with the higher sun angle the line of the roof shades the internal walls to prevent unwanted summer heat entering the house The western side of the house has a large pergola covered in summer by extensive kiwi fruit and grape arbours to make a large cool shady space which functions as an outdoor work harvesting and living area In winter the leaves fall and allow sun and light in to the western side of the house

GREENHOUSEThe big house also features a passive solar greenhouse at-tached to the north side outside the kitchen The greenhouse is a multi-purpose space that brings considerable happiness and yields in all four seasons It is used as a heat collector growing space and mudroom

In winter the greenhouse lets the low sun in and catches that solar energy to warm the internal garden beds the mud-brick house wall and the kitchen The garden beds are full of out-of-season greens and herbs protected from frost by the clear roof and the slow heat bank provided by the mudbrick wall This makes it easy to nip out for a few salad leaves or herbs on a rainy winter day

The end of the greenhouse next to the kitchen door func-tions as a mudroom ndash providing a warm dry place to get muddy boots on and off store coats out of the weather and transition from the outside to the inside of the house without bringing half the garden soil in with you

In summer the greenhouse is deep in large green leaves cucurbits tomatoes and other vegetables rising high to shade the greenhouse roof and the house wall beside it

Overhead misters keep the greenhouse pleasantly humid on dry summer days and also provide a valuable moist buf-fer-zone for the house as part of Melliodorarsquos fire plan

ENERGY EFFICIENCYApart from these design features Melliodora has many other examples of low-tech energy-efficient living including power generation water harvesting food preservation and storage not to mention the home office that allows integrated low-en-ergy livelihoods

One of the simplest low energy solutions is the cool-cup-board in the kitchen This draws cool air from the cavity un-

derneath the earth floor then channels it up through the cup-board (and past the cooled food) and out through a flue above This is a completely passive food-cooling unit powered by the tendency of air to rise as it warms

Wire baskets in the cool cupboard contain everything from homemade ferments of all kinds vegetables condiments left-over meals and homemade goatrsquos cheese Thanks to tight-fit-ting doors the cool cupboardrsquos internal temperature is kept separate from the ambient kitchen temperature its contents sit happily at an average temperature of 10 degC in winter and a maximum of 17 degC in summer A small bar fridge in the kitchen keeps the fresh goats milk ndash from daily milking ndash at 4 degC everything else is kept cool but not cold This is an ex-cellent compromise for an energy-efficient home-based food system

The house also boasts a cellar full of preserves storage crops food preparation gear and other things that need or benefit from being kept cool but are not required daily in the kitchen

The kitchen garden although not often thought of as a food preservation unit is actually one of the best If managed well you can have fresh salad greens and other vegetables stored in the ground or on the plant and only harvest as you need them About ninety per cent of the vegetables needed for the household at Melliodora are produced right outside the door

WATERMelliodorarsquos water design represents a pragmatic approach to available resources When designing the house David wanted to make the most of the town-water connection as a backup system for resilience especially in the fire season because of its excellent head pressure

A small rainwater tank behind the big house collects rainfall off a small section of the roof and provides drinking water for the house through a separate tap in the kitchen

The majority of the rain that falls on the house roof and the roof of the second studio building on the property collects water in two large ferro-cement tanks that were built on site This water is pumped by a solar pump to a header-tank uphill from the house and is used for washing dishes and people

Melliodorarsquos two dams spill from one into the other via a series of silt traps and small ponds Dam water is pumped by a solar pump up to a second header-tank and used for irrigating vegetables fruit and nut trees across the property

The top damrsquos catchment includes hard surfaces from the surrounding township and fills quickly in a short downpour The second dam fills from the property itself and from the overflow of the dam above In turn when the system is full the excess water spills passively down to Spring Creek next to the property

HOME ECONOMYEvery aspect of Melliodora is set up with the household econ-omy in mind rather than the monetary economy Self-reliance is key and the house and its integrated and surrounding sys-tems are designed accordingly

19

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The food needed is grown raised collected or milked as best as can be managed Some foods are plentiful some are not most are highly seasonal and no foodstuff is assumed The menu changes daily and markedly throughout the year

Ideas gaining popularity now such as no-waste living have been a given in this house for decades Therersquos no rubbish bin in the kitchen paper is used again or stored or compost-ed all jars and tins are re-purposed all organic scraps are eaten by something on site Meals are made at home and taken along when adventures await beyond Everything thatrsquos needed and can be sourced second hand or from junkyards is Therersquos no left-over packaging in this house

The small amount of plastic that does make it into the house is usually re-purposed to wrap and package wholefoods to be sold at the weekly co-op It all goes around

Heating energy is sourced from the sun and from sticks collected on the property or at neighbouring places Things that break are fixed if they can be Things that break easily or cannot be fixed are generally not brought into the system

Itrsquos in these ways plus many other small and large habits and behaviours and systems that the home economy at Mel-liodora functions Very little money is needed for daily life Much living doing and making gets done instead

David talks about his aspiration of lsquoliving in placersquo ndash of a life spent learning the local country the signs and systems the climate the ground Of not always going far away to other things Of giving thanks for what is and adapting to what is not And designing always designing Itrsquos a style of living and a possible future for all of us to consider

Thanks to David and Su for their insights and help There are many great resources available that break down in detail and step-by-step the design construction and establishment of this special place If yoursquore interested start with rsquoMelliodorarsquo Hepburn Permaculture Gardens a Case Study in Cool Climate Permaculture 1985ndash2005 (Holmgren Design Services 2005) a fabulous and detailed overview available in hard copy and ebook form Head to holmgrencomau for this and other re-sources both digital and print on Melliodora permaculture design designing for bushfire and much more

Kirsten Bradley runs Milkwood an Australian permacul-ture skills enterprise that has just taken up residence in the studio at Melliodora She pickles whatever she can get her hands on and writes hopefully useful things at wwwmilkwoodnet

20

Jess Ahlem

eierRam

med Earth Australia

Robyn RosenfeldtViva Living H

omes

Viva Living Hom

es

Clockwise from above left Rammed earth walls Mudbrick interior Strawbale interior Light Earth wall Cob house

21

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ATU

REYOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO NATURAL

BUILDING MATERIALS


Words by Adam Hickman

Whether yoursquore thinking of becoming an owner-build-er or retrofitting your home you might be wonder-ing which building materials will ensure an effective beautiful and natural home Some important factors to consider are which resources are available to you lo-cally (both on your property and in your area) cost of materials thermal properties sought ndash passive solar design thermal mass and insulation ndash and how these interact with each other embodied energy involved and the ease of material construction With an intro-duction to these factors you will be better equipped to begin choosing the materials that best suit your climate and house design

LOCALLY SOURCED MATERIALSResearch your local resources ndash keep an eye out for timber mills (for freecheap offcuts) dense forest high-clay soil quarries for stone salvage yards building-grade strawbale manufacturers and any excess subsoil from building sites Practise sustainable building methods

If yoursquore planning to use earthen materials test the clay content in your own subsoil first If you have a clay content of around twenty-five per cent techniques such as cob light earth (straw clay) rammed earth and mudbrick would be per-fect options in your design

Another great local resource is trees Many native Aus-tralian hardwoods are suitable for building ironbark tallow-wood Victorian ash blue gum and spotted gum are some Once yoursquove identified the species and its properties (such as strength and durability) the timber can be used for post and beam construction or milled for weatherboards cladding floor joists and furniture

COSTFor many people cost is the deciding factor in the choice of building materials Some people assume that natural build-ing is cheap but this isnrsquot necessarily true The major costs

in building any home are usually labour and fixtures such as kitchen bathroom and internal fit-outs For example a straw bale house built by a natural builder can cost anywhere between $1800ndash2000 m2 with the bales only accounting for fifteen to twenty per cent of the cost However you can re-duce costs by downsizing sourcing your materials locally or from your property using recycled materials and inviting the community or volunteers to take part in building workshops at your place

THERMAL PROPERTIESWhen assessing thermal properties passive solar design thermal mass and insulation are major considerations In an Australian climate holding and storing heat and cold effec-tively by using insulating materials on the external walls and thermal mass internally can create an ideal environment for self-regulated temperature control

Passive solar design is one way to harness the sunrsquos en-ergy for the heating and cooling of living spaces This design practice aims to create a self-regulated temperature within the home instead of installing non-renewable systems such as gas heating and air conditioning This involves consider-ation of the orientation and internal layout of the house and most importantly the choice of building materials and their strategic placement By constructing a passive solar design you are investing in lower energy bills and using the naturally occurring thermal properties of your materials With an un-derstanding of passive solar design you can begin to choose building materials

Thermal mass stores and releases or absorbs heat When a mass stores heat from a source (such as a fire or the sun) it slowly releases that energy back into the room once the ambient temperature drops below the mass temperature ndash sometimes delaying the heat flow through the home by up to twelve hours (lag) Materials that have a high thermal mass include brick stone cob mud bricks concrete and water You can use these materials for internal structure and to build

22

Jess Ahlem

eierRobyn Rosenfeldt

Hem

pcrete AustraliaKeren D

obia

partition walls which work well in winter especially when positioned near a fire

Insulation stops or slows down the transfer of heat and cold As a general rule materials that are fibrous and contain air pockets are good insulators In Australia building materi-als are given an R-value rating based on the thermal conduc-tivity or resistance of the material However efficient design is about more than R-value for example material used in the walls may have a high R-value but the walls are just one el-ement of the design ndash only fifteen to twenty-five per cent of heat is lost through walls A strawbale wall has an incredi-ble R-value of R100 Other good insulators (with an R-val-ue around R30) include sheeprsquos wool (expensive at around $25 m2) and hempcrete

EMBODIED ENERGYEmbodied energy is the total energy consumed by the pro-cesses of extracting processing manufacturing and deliv-ering building materials to your site In natural building the embodied energy and carbon footprint (ie related carbon dioxide emissions) of materials will depend on your location and what is locally available to you

The ideal building material for low embodied energy would involve little or no processing of the raw material and all the energy inputs would be lsquoborrowedrsquo from the earth Cement the key ingredient in concrete is extremely high in embodied energy however itrsquos now one of the most common materi-als used in conventional building The main use of cement in buildings is in the foundations and floor While it can be

Clockwise from below Mudbrick home Hempcrete Timber framing by Evergeen Homes Cob walls

23

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difficult to avoid using cement when trying to adhere to per-mits and engineering specifications there are ways to reduce the use of cement for example by using urbanite (reused) concrete added natural materials such as crushed limestone (eg LimeCrete) rubble trenches concrete strip footings with an internal earthen floor or by constructing timber posts and frame on top of brick piers

EASE OF CONSTRUCTIONThe diverse range of natural building materials makes for an equally diverse range of construction methods The key con-siderations to balance are your ability to use unskilled labour speed of construction and weight of the materials For ex-ample you could employ a carpenter to erect the structural frame which means your chosen infill for the walls doesnrsquot need to be structural allowing for additional unskilled labour (such as friends or family) to assist in the building process Strawbale wall installation would be a quick process with un-skilled labour while mudbricks ndash which are heavy for their size ndash will take longer to install

MATERIALS [see further details in the table]CobCob is made from subsoil (sand and clay) water and a fibrous organic material typically straw For a strong cob mixture you need around fifteen to twenty-five per cent clay seventy-five to eighty-five per cent sand and one part straw Always test samples and different ratios for strength before building as natural materials are different from place to place If you canrsquot use subsoil from your property try calling local land-scapers and building sites or look on community websites for free subsoil Cob is also extremely fire-resistant

MudbrickMudbricks are made by mixing subsoil and water and sculpt-ing the mix into brick-shaped forms which are left to dry nat-urally Sometimes straw and other fibres are added to reduce the shrinkage in the drying process Mud bricks are extremely fire-resistant

StrawbaleOat rye wheat and rice straw are commonly used materials for making strawbales but not hay (which can germinate and break down in the walls) Use previously compressed bales (building grade) rather than regular strawbales

Light earthLight earth (also known as light straw clay or insulating straw clay) is not structural but used as infill and is best for retrofit-ting walls or cavities due to its great balance of insulating and thermal mass properties It is made from loose straw lightly coated in a clay slipslurry which is tamped into formwork between a post and beam structure Once dry (two to four months) the walls are rendered with an earth or lime render

HempcreteHempcrete is made by combining water hemp fibre and a lime-based binder It is both fire- and pest-resistant Similar to light earth itrsquos an infill material you use formwork to pack

the material into sections usually a load-bearing timber frame

Rammed earthRammed earth is a mixture of gravel clay sand cement and sometimes lime or waterproofing additives It is most easily machine-compacted into removable formwork resulting in a water-resistant load-bearing long-lasting wall

Timber Sustainable timber is a renewable material that absorbs car-bon from the atmosphere while growing and stores it for the life of the building Australia has many native hardwoods that are great for building Timber can be used sawn or left in the round

HOW TO GET STARTED It can be easy to set your heart on a specific style so itrsquos im-portant to remember that natural building techniques can be adapted to different shapes and design parameters and once rendered with lime andor earth can maintain a very similar aesthetic The important first step is to begin to look at your own needs in a home How do you spend time in a space How can your home benefit your needs and lifestyle

Research which materials are readily available in your area from the natural world and recycled as well as via websites such as Gumtree and Freecycle Stay in tune with what your budget allows and think outside the box when considering fixtures fittings and labour alternatives

Most importantly enjoy this empowering building process as much as the goal You can build a solid beautiful and breathable home with earthen carbon-neutral materials Itrsquos about realising your needs observing your resources and ac-knowledging local skills and community

For further information and details of relevant courses go tobull Your Home Australiarsquos guide to environmentally

sustainable homes at wwwyourhomegovaubull The Australian Timber Database at

wwwtimbernetaubull Viva Living Homes at wwwvivahomescomaubull Huff lsquonrsquo Puff Strawbale Constructions at

wwwglassfordcomaubull Agari Permaculture Farm at wwwagarifarmorgbull Earth Building Solutions at

wwwearthbuildingsolutionscomaubull Milkwood at wwwmilkwoodnet bull Rammed Earth Australia at

wwwrammedearthaustraliacomaubull Evergreen Homes at wwwevergreenhomescomau bull Hempcrete Australia at wwwhempcretecomau

Adam Hickman owns and runs Evergreen Homes and has been teaching natural building courses all over Australia He has two upcoming courses a three week strawbale round house with reciprocal roof in Ad-elaide and a one week home in Mornington Peninsula For more info visit agarifarmorg or contact adamagarifarmorg

24

COST

EMBODIED ENERGY

THERMAL PROPERTIES

EASE OF CONSTRUCTION

Cheap if sourcing claysand from your property Otherwise clay is around $16ndash20 kg sand around $70 m3

Depends on source of materials minimal if from property and with local straw

Low insulation value (R05) but high thermal mass

Applied while wet Labour-intensive to mix and apply (build up to 300 mmday) so best as a community process You can mix it with a tractor or on a tarp in large quantities Free-form style of materi-al allows for architectural flexibility

Free when using your own soil and building your own brick moulds from recycled timber or metal pre-made have a 5 cement additive and cost around $330 brick ($66 m2 laid flat

Minimal if locally sourced materials

Low insulation value (R04) but great thermal mass more effective to use mudbricks for thermal and acoustic performance on internal walls

Can be load-bearing but usually used as infill Labour-intensive due to weight ndash usually about 18 kgbrick

Around $9bale ($20 m2) A completely renewable material ndash its primary energy input is the sun

A rendered wall provides excellent insulation (R100)

Can be load-bearing or used as infill Both techniques are extremely quick as each bale is usually 900 mm x 450 mm x 350 mm weighs only 16ndash20 kg and is easy to ma-noeuvre between two people

Cheap if sourcing clay from your property You can use reclaimed plywood for form-work but yoursquoll need to buy straw You can use wood chip instead of straw (chip lsquonrsquo slip) so ask at your local saw mill)

Non-toxic bio-renewable and low-cost materials by incorporating organic aggregates wall construction can be carbon negative

The less dense the wall the lighter the weight and the higher the insulation value but with a lower thermal mass walls at 250 mm width with a lower density of 500 kgm3 are around R18

Technique is easy lightweight and fast especially if built in the warmer months Using two sets of boards (about 300 mm are practical) you can leapfrog your way up a wall creating full height walls in one session

If employing an experienced builder the price is similar to conventional building but you can invite workshops or volunteers to lower the costs

Carbon-negative ndash more carbon is taken out of the atmosphere by growing the hemp plant than is emitted as a result of its production and use on site transport to site is an additional carbon emission so research local produces and suppliers

A 300 mm thick wall is around R42

Have an experienced builder present as the mixture consis-tency is quite specific Layer no more than 100ndash150 mm at a time and then pat it down firmly The lime is highly alkaline so gloves and safety glasses are necessary It is light work but very labour- intensive

Costs $250ndash300 vertical m2 if hiring a builder reduce costs by using earth from your property one option is stabilising it with 5ndash10 cement

Minimal if using subsoil from your property especially if you choose not to add cement (only recommended for non-load-bearing walls)

Insulation similar to mudbrick (around R04)

Very labour-intensive requiring a small excavator or cement mixer to combine materials The mix is applied within formwork and tamped Mechanical and wooden tam-pers are available although the latter will take longer

CO

BM

UD

BR

ICK

ST

RA

WB

ALE

LIGH

T E

AR

TH

HE

MP

CR

ET

ER

AM

ME

D E

AR

TH

The magazine for those who want to build their own home

wwwtheownerbuildercomau bull wwwfacebookcomTheOwnerBuilder

Subscriptions

Back issues

If yoursquore looking to build your own home then The Owner Builder can help Every two months we can supply you with a great dose of inspiration and technical advice to help you achieve your dream

You can now order directly through our online shop either from Facebook or our website (select Shop) Find us on Facebook Badge CMYK ai


Available by direct subscription and in newsagents Australia-wide

26

Western societies have been enthralled by technology since the beginning of the industrial revolution From mechanised looms to 3D printers technology has lift-ed people out of poverty increased life expectancy freed us from menial work reduced pain and suffer-ing and helped us to see the world in new and illu-minating ways However technology is a two-edged sword for it has also brought pollution extinctions an exploding human population unemployment and of course the warming of our planet

SLOW TECHNOLOGY A permaculture approach to technology is more like the lsquoslow foodrsquo movement than the high-tech cutting edge of modern industry It is technology that works for us not enslaving us to it It is technology that connects us to our place and com-munity It is beautiful and enhances our lives It is more like a long slow lunch with friends than a drive-through takeaway

EF Schumacher is credited with first using the term lsquoap-propriate technologyrsquo in his influential book Small Is Beau-tiful a Study of Economics as if People Mattered (Blond and Briggs 1973) though he leaned toward the term lsquointermediate technologyrsquo I prefer lsquoappropriatersquo as it suggests there is a right size a right scale a right cost for technology Appropri-ate technologies are those that hit a sweet spot where these things are aligned

SWEET SPOTSWe are often presented with a picture of technology being a great unfolding from simple and primitive through to high-tech and complex ever growing and ever improving But this is not always the case most types of technology have sweet spots ndash points in their development that just seem to work well ndash and any attempts to improve them have little overall impact A classic example is the bicycle

Two-wheeled human conveyances have been around since

the 1820s but when the lsquosafety bicyclersquo (diamond frame two matching-sized wheels chain drive) emerged in the 1880s a sweet spot was hit The design worked it matched the human body with a technology that produced an efficiency ndash energy expended to distance travelled ndash that is still unmatched by any other form of transport Bicycles might look like theyrsquove changed in the last 130 years (they have got faster) but the core of the safety bicycle design is still there and little im-provement in overall efficiency has been achieved

This is not to say that there is only one lsquoappropriatersquo tech-nology that must be rolled out globally Permaculture princi-ples call us to lsquoobserve and interactrsquo with our place and our conditions so technology must be locally adapted and locally appropriate Although the basic bicycle design might remain an lsquoappropriate bikersquo for us and our place should be made from locally sourced materials geared to suit the local typog-raphy fitted with tyres suited to the local terrain lubricated with locally sourced oils and greases and fitted with attach-ments suited to the load being carried or work being done

HOW TO MEASURE lsquoAPPROPRIATErsquoSo how do we divine the appropriate from the inappropriate in selecting and using technology How do we go about find-ing sweet spots Here are some criteria by which we might assess a prospective technology

RenewableWe should check that any technology we are considering is based on a renewable resource base and a renewable source of energy lsquoUse and value renewable resources and servicesrsquo and lsquocatch and store energyrsquo arenrsquot just useful sayings they underpin thinking that will move technology from destructive and unsustainable to life-affirming and stable

Appropriate technology will make good use of those renew-able resources and energies that are locally available It will use resources or energy from outside the local area sparingly

APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY THE WAY FORWARD

Words by Joel Meadows


27

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Fran

ces

How

eD

an P

alm

er

Nat

ure

Loo

28

Warning be careful with the term lsquorenewablersquo as much that is labelled as such by the lsquorenewable energy industryrsquo doesnrsquot tick all ndash or any ndash of the boxes on the appropriate technology checklist For example adding lots of photovoltaic panels to a house to run a big spa bath doesnrsquot make it appropriate

Human scaleSchumacher says lsquosmall is beautifulrsquo and David Holmgren says lsquouse small and slow solutionsrsquo yet both acknowledge that the real answer is not lsquosmall for smallrsquos sakersquo but the right scale for the people and place Scale is critical in defin-ing appropriate technology yet there are no absolute numbers for defining size or scale The best measure we have is our bodies

Before the advent of lifts buildings generally werenrsquot built over three stories high not because people lacked the en-gineering skills to go higher but because buildings became un-livable when occupants had to climb more than two flights of stairs to get from street level to home or work This was human scale defining and limiting technology

When we let our bodies define what works well the human scale becomes a potent tool in designing and choosing appro-priate technology

Locally repairable locally manufacturedAppropriate technology should be at least locally repairable and preferably made within the bioregion itrsquos used in Much modern technology is disposable with only a few older tech-nologies being repairable However repairable technologies form an essential part of a stable local economy providing a range of jobs at different skill levels within communities

Freeing and empoweringGood technology frees us from being mindless consumers trapped in a capitalist feedlot where products come in and (often pointless) work and money go out

When we grow and capture energy and resources that are locally available we become not only more self-reliant and re-silient but the products are more valuable to our community less subject to price fluctuations supply chains or interna-tionally traded commodities

This is truly empowering technology but itrsquos not always easy Itrsquos often time- and labour-intensive and requires us to understand the system and technology being used

WHAT DOES APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY LOOK LIKESome of the best examples of appropriate technology are very simple and common others are innovative and newly emerg-ing Letrsquos have a look at a few of these technologies in more detail

Good design and building In temperate regions passive solar design for houses can al-low winter sun through north facing windows and store that

energy in the thermal mass of the house In summer eaves pergolas or blinds can exclude the higher angle of the sun and keep the mass cool assisted by evening ventilation Good design adds little or no extra to building costs and allows a house to run with virtually no additional heating or cooling

Using local and natural building materials and local skills and labour keeps the non-renewable energy inputs of the building down and also helps to build local skills and economy

Rocket stovesRocket stoves use a few simple physical principles to get close to full combustion of wood for clean efficient heat pro-duction Rocket stoves can be used to cook food heat water and warm houses and in almost any application where heat is needed

Rocket stoves allow small pieces of wood usually not re-garded as acceptable firewood to be the main fuel source reducing the energy used in harvesting stacking and chop-ping wood When coupled with solar building design solar hot water and solar cooking firewood requirements can be very small and manageable

Rocket stoves are not complicated to make and simple units made from reclaimed bricks with cob are often made in just a few hours Higher-end units made from steel or firebricks are not hard to manufacture in a moderately equipped shed and provide a great local enterprise opportunity

Solar hot water The sunrsquos energy can be converted into hot water with pretty basic technology The flatbed solar hot water collector has been around for over 100 years and is still a fantastic way to heat water Though slightly less efficient that the more high-tech evacuated tube flatbed panels can be manufactured easily in small-scale workshops and are easy to repair and maintain over a very long lifespan

Coupled with gravity tanks (another renewable energy source) and wood-boosting a solar hot water system can meet year-round hot water needs while having no moving parts and being entirely powered by renewable resources

Biogas Any biological material but particularly high-nitrogen content material such as leafy plant matter or manure can be decom-posed in water anaerobically to generate methane This can be done in a simple barrel a converted septic system or a purpose built digester Often the biogas is scrubbed of its im-purities (hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide) until itrsquos close to pure methane which can then be stored uncompressed in a gasometer (gas storage tank or bladder) or compressed into bottles Itrsquos very similar in heating character to natural gas

Methane can be used for a range of household needs cooking water and space heating running an internal com-bustion engine to generate electricity or directly in a vehicle or machine

29

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Although it is easy to produce biogas (ever made compost tea) itrsquos a good deal more complicated to scrub it store it and use it at about the rate you make it However biogas is an appropriate way to begin green gas generation and has a long and proven track record in Indian and Chinese villages

Solar cooking and dehydrating The sunrsquos energy can also be converted into heat for cook-ing or dehydrating food This can be as simple as using a box or tray out in the sun through to concentrator lenses or dishes that focus the sunrsquos energy to boil water or even fry food Solar cookers can be relatively simple to make from local and salvaged materials or can get pretty complicated yet another great local enterprise opportunity Donrsquot forget your sunglasses

Composting toilets and compost heatingToilet technology is not often considered important by people living in sewered areas However learning to manage and make best use of human waste is critical away from large infrastructure and if we are serious about avoiding waste and cycling nutrients

lsquoHumanurersquo style hot-composting systems reduce the risk of human pathogen contamination while turning human waste into a valuable resource for gardens Humanure sys-tems are simple and important if we are to retain nutrients in our systems

The heat generated by a hot compost pile can also be a source of energy for example using a coil of pipe through the pile to heat water for washing or space heating or direct heating for greenhouse growing beds

EARTH TECHNOLOGYWhen technology is sourced from our place powered by local energy scaled and refined to fit our needs and frees us from costly or destructive consumption it is much better suited to support us to live well on this planet

For more information go to ndash wwwAlternativeTechnol-ogycomau This website empowers others to transform miscellaneous bits of junk into kick-ass appropriate technology solutions Our next workshop isour five-day Alt-Tech Intensive where you learn alter-native solutions to all basic technology needs and then use them as part of the course and venue Whether itrsquos compost-power showers rocket oven bake offs or windmill-powered water supplies we will be living and breathing the systems from a user as well as a builderrsquos perspective 19ndash23 October 2016 Yandoit Farm Victoria wwwalternativetechnologycomauworkshops

Above Biogas digester Page 27 clockwise from top Solar oven and dryer at Bethel Business and Community Development Centre Lesotho Nature Loo ClassicndashPalisade OptionndashOutloo Joel Meadows with his rocket water heater

copy20

16 Is

aac

Mar

quez

and

Hom

e Po

wer

mag

azin

e

The natural alternative reusable food storage

Handmade in Byron Bay using organic cotton and natural beeswaxwwwhoneybeewrapcomau

Perfect for wrapping fruit and vegcheeses and snacks on the go

Are you a DIY greenie

Or do you get inspired by great sustainable design

Take advantage of our special offer for Pip readers a 10 discount off subscriptions to ReNew technology for a sustainable future or Sanctuary modern green homes

Both magazines are published by the independent not‑for‑profit Alternative Technology Association

For your subscription discount go to shopataorgau and use coupon code PIP2016 when ordering your subscription at the checkout or call (03) 9639 1500

31

LIVING TINY

Words by Sian Richards and Adam Hickman Photos by Keren Dobia

32

We were inspired to build a tiny house out of necessi-ty to have our own space Wersquod left the city in search of a more sustainable lifestyle and for about a year we lived between a tent the back of our car and in a borrowed caravan it was time to build something of our own

We started to investigate what could be possible for us at Agari Permaculture Farm (Victoria) the intentional commu-nity we were living at We spoke to the council and the land-owner about what could meet our needs We wanted to build a home quickly where we didnrsquot need a mortgage could have privacy be warm store our things cook in and be able to move with our changing circumstances

Adam was working with Rob Scott from Hollyburton Park (Macedon Ranges Vic) building house-trucks at the time so that seemed like the obvious solution

SIZE MATTERSThe floor size is around twenty square metres the mezza-nine bedroom above the truck cab is four the living space comprised of a lounge room kitchenette fire and storage space is fourteen and the cantilevered porch with a show-er is two

hellip AND SO DOES COSTWersquove spent around $16 500 so far on the truck the materi-als the solar system and the amenities including the fridge shower hot-water system and fireplace Luckily Adam is a carpenterbuilder and had the skills to both design the house and then facilitate the building process Labour is usually the biggest cost in building and we were blessed to have so many beautiful friends to volunteer their time and expertise

MATERIALS Around eighty-five per cent of the materials used were re-cycled free or sourced locally The truck is a 1969 Bedford bought from Gumtree from an old Italian furniture removalist On the exterior is rusty corrugated iron reclaimed weather-boards and fence palings All the windows and doors were

33

secondhand also from Gumtree The back porch is made from locally felled blue gum and fence palings and its floor is the timber from the ramp that came with the truck In the interior the rafters and some finishings are reclaimed Ore-gon pine the slate on the fireplace is from a salvage yard the kitchen corner-cabinet is from eBay the shelving uses old wine boxes (from Gumtree) the floor is made from hardwood offcuts from a local timber yard and the cypress stairkitchen tops were milled locally Half the wall lining and all the trim-mings and architraves are from old fence palings too The solar panels and batteries were also second-hand

Around fifteen per cent of the materials were brand new including the pine stud wall the corrugated iron roof (we aim to harvest rainwater) the Earthwool insulation batts (eighty per cent recycled glass bottles) pine ceiling and half of the wall lining All the pine is fast growing sustainably-sourced plantation timber We also used some plywood to build the cabinets

THE BUILDING PROCESS We lived in the back of the truck for six months while doing a design saving money and collecting materials The build-ing process took about ten weeks with varying amounts of labour

After removing the existing shell of the truck we built stud walls and fixed them to the tray the skeleton was complete We then propped the front wall of the bedroom off the chassis using steel members and raised the roof On the porch the roundwood mortise and tenon joinery ndash which I learnt from Ben Law and Simon Dale ndash was time-consuming but really stands out as a beautiful feature We then moved on to the exterior lining roof cladding and interior and lsquofinalrsquo fitout we recently fitted our wood stove for winter

Note that reclaimed materials usually take longer to work

Front page Sian and Adam with their tiny house on wheelsOpposite page Everything you need in one compact space The kitchen with recycled doors and windows Adam and Sian enjoying their new homeThis Page Outdoor area and solar panels Dual purpose drawer stairs

FE

ATU

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34

with as they are not uniform and require effort such as sort-ing and planing What you save in the material cost is low compared to this labour cost however reclaimed materials were part of our vision and ethics for a low impact home

We had super-generous skilled volunteer labour from friends who helped make time-consuming processes much quicker and things like solar installation possible

ENERGY EFFICIENCY The truck has been designed using passive solar principles Adam tries to design tiny houses with a chosen orientation which helps with the flow of the internal layout and incor-porating solar gain Our house on wheels allows us to adjust its position to work with the sun Most of the windows and doors are on one side so in winter we can face this to the north to bring in optimum light and warmth In the summer we can turn the truck so this side faces the south to limit direct heating

The walls floor and ceiling of the house are fully insulated requiring less input to control temperature The small space means that it doesnrsquot take long to warm up with the fire only used for a few months of the year or to cool down with crossventilating windows and doors

Our solar system is made up of four 180 W panels a 1500 W inverter and six 100 amphour batteries This is adequate for us to run three LED downlights charge our phones and computers run a twelve volt fridge play a stereo systemprojector and on sunny days use more demanding appliances like a slow-cooker THE BENEFITS OF A TINY HOUSE ON WHEELSHaving a home space that can move with you and your chang-ing circumstances is very empowering As itrsquos on wheels you donrsquot need to get council permission planning permits take time and cost money Tiny houses are also great investments as they can be used as rental accommodation on your land

SKILL LEVEL NEEDEDAnyone can build a tiny house Itrsquos not a simple task so we would advise either buying a design from someone with ex-perience andor attending a workshop where you can learn the skills and techniques to build your own A workshop will also connect you with like-minded people to learn and share with You could pay someone to design and build a tiny house for you if you donrsquot have the time or experience but have the budget to pay

OTHER USEFUL ADVICE Spend a lot of time on Gumtree and eBay looking for cheap deals on materials as beauties pop up all the time Scour the internet too for photos and inspiration for your design Con-nect with others who have built andor lived in tiny houses to help answer your questions And look at ways to minimise your possessions as yoursquoll need to keep to necessities when living in a tiny house

Being involved in the process of designing orand building your home to suit your specific lifestyle needs is priceless

Adam Hickman runs Evergreen Homes Australia If yoursquore interested in attending a tiny house workshop or having a tiny house designedbuilt for you please contact him at adamevergreenhomescomau

Left to right The outdoor shower on the back Plenty of room for cooking

35

36

On 25 April 2015 a massive earthquake struck Ne-pal affecting the country and its people deeply There was a series of earthquakes over several days with the most devastating one reaching 78 on the Richter scale As well as numerous small tremors a further large earthquake of 73 magnitude hit on 12 May

These earthquakes caused serious damage to many parts of the capital Kathmandu however the worst of the damage was seen in the rural villages in fourteen districts surrounding the city Over 9000 people were killed and nearly a million homes were destroyed Infrastructure farms and businesses were also destroyed and years of small growth and develop-ment wiped out

Sunrise Farm in Rani Patati village near Kathmandu is a community farm owned and managed by Mr Shyam Shrestha and his family It is a working farm established in 1995 offer-ing demonstration training and seed and seedling distribution facilities It also runs a program committed to demonstration of and training about sustainable agriculture and community de-velopment techniques and approaches A diversity of foods and resources is grown including roots grain leaf fruit and flower crops from trees shrubs grasses and herbs firewood animal fodder and mulch Crops are protected by integrated pest man-agement strategies encouraged by created microclimates

Immediately after the earthquakes hundreds of people de-scended on the farmrsquos land to get away from large buildings that were collapsing all around The farmhouse was struc-turally damaged and became unsafe and the barn was totally destroyed

Many people sheltered under hastily constructed plastic tarps including the Shrestha family They cooked for dozens of displaced people for four days until emergency services water and electricity reached the area The family continued catering for their community for some weeks using the farmrsquos abundant vegetables and grains grown in organic no-till beds

Following a crowd-funding appeal donations and a mi-cro-grant from Permafund work to rebuild Sunrise Farm started in November 2015 However it was affected by the

embargo on Nepal by India which ran from September 2015 until January 2016

Commodities became unavailable or at best prohibitively expensive as fuel became rare While the city lacked cook-ing gas forests around the valley began to be stripped The Shresthas were able to cook on the Farmrsquos ageing biogas unit fuelled by recycled manure plus biomass supplemented by firewood from their agroforestry

The delay was used for planning and research into the best methods of rebuilding Work started in December 2015 with deconstruction of damaged areas of the house and barn and recycling of the materials

The house rebuild involved jacking up existing concrete beams and strengthening them with new and stronger beams infilled with traditional brickwork using both recycled bricks from the demolished walls and stabilised compressed earth bricks (SCEBs) The SCEBs were manufactured using a hy-draulic ram made in Nepal with an earth and six per cent cement mix they werenrsquot fired The house has been com-pletely restored except for plastering and painting which will be done in autumn 2016 following a planned training course in lime plastering

Work on the barn used a combination of SCEBs stone and mud mortar bamboo (both as structural beams and woven as wall fabric) with a corrugated tin and perspex roof for extra light The barn is also complete except for detailing and painting

Sunrise Farm was fortunate to strike up a partnership with International Disaster Volunteers (IDV) which provided an archi-tect and a stream of volunteer helpers The family is now con-structing a new training hall also with IDV help and aims to have it complete or at least covered before the monsoon sets in

Sunrise Farm has already begun to host training and demonstration projects thanks to the help of crowd-funding and donations Permaculture diploma induction events and farmersrsquo field trip visits will be included

To help rebuild Sunrise Farm go to their crowd-funding website at wwwgofundmecomwr2cn5y4

RESILIENCE AFTER EARTHQUAKES IN NEPALWords by Christine Carroll and Chris Evans Photos by Chris Evans

C R E AT I V E LY U S E A N D R E S P O N D T O C H A N G E

37

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ATU

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Above top Sunrise Farm became a refuge for displaced locals who camped under tarpaulins after their houses were destroyed or rendered unsafe The farm catered for them with vegetables especially potatoes cooked using biogas and firewood all produced on the farm Above Volunteers help to rebuild

PERMAFUND IT rsquoS ABOUT FAIR SHAREPermafund exists to receive funds and distribute them to permaculture projects around the world that desperately need them Money is donated by perma-culture businesses groups and individuals raising $10 000 which was distributed in Permafundrsquos 2015 micro-grant round to the following organisations

GrassRoots Economics Kenya $2000OTEPIC The Organic Technology Extension and Promotion of Initiative Centre Kenya $2000CENDEP Centre for Nursery Development and Eru Propagation Cameroon $1500THREAD Team for Human Resource Education and Action for Development India $1500Sekolahkan Java $1000Epic Inc Sherbrooke Forest Victoria $1000Permatil $500Sunrise Farm Nepal $500

To support future grant rounds donate to Permafund (Permaculture International Public Fund) Donations of $200 or more are tax deductible To learn more see httppermacultureaustraliaorgaupermafund

38

Clockwise from above right Sprouting seeds early in the warmth of a green house Successively planted lettuce as one lot are ready the next lot are coming on Carrots at Milkwood farm no more shop bought carrots Michael Hewins obtaining a yield

Kirsten BradleyRobyn Rosenfeldt

Kirsten BradleyKirsten Bradley

39

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There comes a moment in every season when you re-alise you just canrsquot eat any more radishes hellip or cucum-bers hellip or pumpkins hellip When your friends just wonrsquot accept any more boxes of zucchinis silently left on their doorstep Wersquove all been there ndash itrsquos the inevi-table glut of seasonal gardening and what a glorious and overwhelming moment of abundance it is

Then finally the flood of vegetables ends and yoursquore left with the remains of broken-down mulch and plants running to seed and not a vegie in sight In this moment you might ask yourself lsquoHey What happenedrsquo

This situation is common for many gardens and is generally the result of a lack of planning Unless environmental con-ditions have been catastrophically unfavourable the sudden absence of vegies is a human problem and something that can be easily avoided

The turn of a season ndash perhaps spring ndash may prompt a surge of enthusiasm to get into the garden We prepare our soil all at once filling beds to the borders with loads of plants usually whatever seedlings we can get at short notice This creates an awesome sight and feels great but all too often we fail to allow enough time or space for follow-up a succes-sion of plantings to ensure a consistent supply throughout the coming season

THE SOLUTION PLANNINGCrop planning allows us to transcend the glut problem and to balance out the highs and lows of produce from our garden It is possibly the least understood and most often neglect-ed practice of vegetable gardening Many gardeners new and seasoned donrsquot understand the full process of creating a structured crop plan and fair enough It can be overwhelm-ing to consider the many variables that are involved How-ever itrsquos only through the act of planning that we become accountable for our food supply putting the vegetables we

want to grow into a workable schedule of sowing planting and harvesting that meets the needs of our week-to-week eating habits

Crop planning brings structure to the relationship we have with our gardens It allows us to plan what will happen and when so that we get the results that wersquore looking for and learn how to cultivate our space better to get more from each season

When we start crop planning and more specifically plan-ning for yield our gardening practice changes We begin to understand plant cycles in a deeper and more defined way It also allows us to plan seasonal harvest events such as bottling tomatoes pickling cucumbers fermenting cabbages drying and curing the garlic and onions

Crop planning also influences the health and productivity of our soil When we plan the crop cycle we also work towards keeping soil healthy and active ndash soil devoid of plants and ac-tive root systems at different stages of growth is a recipe for an unbalanced soil profile both chemically and biologically

TOWARDS A CROP PLANA well-structured annual crop plan for the backyard garden is prepared in three stages

The first ndash a crop succession plan ndash defines what you are going to plant and each croprsquos relative timings and succes-sions It will include information such as when to sow your crop how long the crop will grow for when the crop will yield how long you can expect a yield for and when the yield is likely to finish Most importantly the crop succession plan will show clearly the transition between successions of plantings with the aim to create a seamless supply of harvest

The second ndash a bed plan ndash puts the crop succession plan into a physical space This defines where the vegetables will go in the garden and how much of each crop you are going to plant

O B TA I N A Y I E L D

CROP SUCCESSION PLANNING PLANTING FOR ABUNDANCE

Words by Michael Hewins

40

The third ndash a crop rotation plan ndash defines where your crops will rotate to in their successions through the garden over subsequent seasons

Wersquoll begin by dissecting and understanding the needs of a well-designed crop succession plan In the next issue of Pip wersquoll look at the bed plan and the crop rotation plan

THE CROP SUCCESSION PLANThe succession plan is not difficult and should only take

you a few hours to complete Itrsquos good to plan for six to twelve months Some of the tools we would use to build our succes-sion plan include

bull a rsquosowing whenrsquo or seasonality calendar ndash this should indicate optimum sowing times for your growing biore-gion

bull a garden diary that includes information from last sea-son ndash to track major events successes and failures

bull a computer whiteboard or chalkboard that is easy to use to record information on

bull a good vegetable encyclopedia to provide lots of juicy information about how to grow each crop

As with any design process the most important starting point is your context Start by being clear about what it is you want to grow It may help to do a simple audit of your weekly eating needs and to make a list of what vegetables you would like to eat in the season yoursquore planning for

We begin to understand plant cycles in a deeper and

more defined wayYou will need to understand or find out what plants grow in

what seasons for your area Over the seasons you will build your own sowing guide for your garden to refine your plan

WHEN TO SOWWith the list of plants you intend to grow in front of you the next step is to define when the first and last sowing of each crop will be for the season For example for growing toma-toes in Sydney many growers will start their plants (often indoors and on heat pads) in late July to early August for transplanting into warming soil in September The final sow-ing of the season is generally in mid- to late February ndash you arenrsquot dealing with frost pressure The sowing timeframe there would be from August to February

THE FIRST HARVESTYou will also want to know the croprsquos lsquoweeks to maturityrsquo how long the plant needs to grow before it becomes mature and produces its first harvest This information is often over-looked but really is critical for planning your yield Also known as lsquotime to yieldrsquo this is generally variety-specific and can fluctuate with variable weather conditions but itrsquos important to have this information on hand for planning your expected

time of yield A good seed supplier should provide you with this information

LENGTH OF HARVESTThe final piece of information you need to know is roughly what the length of harvest will be Is it a one-time picking or is it multiple pickings How long will the plant hold its maturi-ty before the yield diminishes or it jumps to seed

For example cos lettuce is often treated as a one-time har-vest crop generally the full head of lettuce is harvested in one go Most varieties of cos will hold their maturity between two to four weeks before running to seed depending on wheth-er the lettuce is growing into a cooling or warming period Therefore the harvest period for this crop would be two to four weeks You can plant a batch of cos lettuce and harvest them slowly over their maturity period for example one suc-cession of so many plants to be harvested over a four week period

PUT IT IN THE CALENDARWith your croprsquos lifecycle defined put the information into a garden calendar For each crop you intend to grow log its first sowing event and when that sowing will be ready for harvest Also log when you will expect your first sowing to finish its harvest Set the information out so that itrsquos repre-sented clearly in days or weeks depending on how detailed you want your plan to be Some gardeners like to reverse engineer this process by working backwards from your pre-ferred harvest time which is essentially the above process in reverse You might do this is if you were planning for a lsquohungry gaprsquo or need to produce for a specific event in the season

You can take away the guesswork from

gardeningWith the first sowing of your crop clearly defined you now

need to include on your calendar when the next succession will begin to ensure a seamless supply ndash this is where it can get a little tricky

A succession sowing period is the time in weeks between each sowing to ensure that when the first sowing finishes its peak yield ndash and is either no longer setting flowers to pro-duce fruit or producing leaf and is about to run to seed ndash the next succession is just coming into its first stages of yield As an example the diagram opposite illustrates planning for a cherry tomato crop

A general pattern you will notice and a good rule of thumb is that the time between sowings is often fifty to seventy per cent of the total yield time For example if a variety of tomato yields for eight weeks the time between sowings will be four to six weeks Note that your sowing period will be affected by environmental conditions particularly temperature you will

41

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OW

Clockwise from above Great example of successive plantings of tomatoes at Soul Patch market garden Moruya Milkwood Organic Market Garden Seedlings raised in the warmth of a hot house preparing to go in the garden

Robyn Rosenfeldt

Kirsten Bradley

Kirsten Bradley

need to adjust the time between sowings in season to account for this in your local area

To put this all together slowly work through your list of crops and put the information into your calendar It is a good idea to use a calendar medium that is flexible so that you can move and jiggle the timings and successions around to account for yielding times and times when you anticipate warming or cooling weather At the end of the planning pro-cess you should have in front of you an easy-to-read plan that shows each crop and its relative timings and successions for the season yoursquore planning

Keep this plan available so that you can refer to it through-out the season it will become invaluable for making sure you are keeping up and are ready for major steps such as sowing crops in the nursery or preparing ground for transplanting If you want more detail you can add in other activities or events such as pruning ground preparation fertilising or even that annual beetroot borsch bonanza festival for that time of year when you have more beetroots than you can handle

GIVE IT A GOI know what yoursquore thinkingndashlsquoThis seems like a lot of workrsquo Like most good things this planning will take extra time and energy the first time you do it but after yoursquove put togeth-er your first plan it becomes much easier and quicker the next time If you are having difficulties I suggest you start by choosing just four or five of the most important staple crops

those that are going to give you the most return in the season keep it simple and build up from there

By understanding this process and the information required to account for crop yields you can take away the guesswork from gardening Itrsquos true that the general rule of thumb lsquoplant something every two weeksrsquo can result in a good stream of produce coming out of our gardens However a bit of time spent defining and noting crop lifecycles can help to build a clearer plan to help us get more consistent and predictable results from our garden spaces

Make sure that you keep good records of how your succes-sions unfold throughout the season so that you can look back on them to inform better decisions for the future

Have fun and happy gardening

Michael Hewins teaches organic market gardening classes through Milkwood wwwmilkwoodnet

43

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JULIE FIRTH DRYLANDS PERMACULTURE FARM

Words and photos by Ross Mars


P R O F I L E

Julie Firth has created a permaculture oasis near Ger-aldton Western Australia Although not a true desert the area clearly has a dryland climate with annual rainfall as low as 200 mm during drought years sum-mer temperatures reaching well over 40 degC and re-lentless wind gusts of up to thirty kilometres per hour It has taken careful design and thoughtful placement of features to allow things to grow there

Julie is originally from New Zealand and was working in the mining industry in WA when she bought her three hectare property of degraded land about ten kilometres north of Ger-aldton Not long after buying the land she undertook her PDC with Bill Mollison and Jude Fanton in New South Wales and immediately started to transform her property with renewed vision So began her inspired development of the Drylands Permaculture Farm and its associated Yilgarn Seeds and the Drylands Permacuture Nursery

The property is designed in zones intensive gardens close to the house through to revegetation projects and with dry-land plants towards the outer boundaries Shade is crucial and there are sheltered walkways in all directions Various structures or plants are used to delineate one zone from an-other including archways lippia herb lawns strawbale seats sculptures and fences Other innovative structures used in-clude clay floors sandbag garden edging bottles and cans to fill gaps in walls and recycled building materials

Most of the site is densely planted so that the understorey and internal plants ndash such as guavas citrus tropical almonds figs medlars and mulberries ndash are protected from strong

winds Outlying plants are less dependent on water and this is where you will find jujube pomegranate cactus (mainly Cereus spp) marula kei apple Natal plums lebbeck (Albizia lebbeck) and some thorny African plants that are well-known survivors in drier areas Climbing succulents such as drag-on fruit are found on trellis structures around the property There are lots of chickens ducks and geese and a few emus in pens along the southern boundary

With water in such high demand the 200 kL rainwater tank is reserved mainly for the nursery ndash for plant propagation and seed raising More tanks are proposed but with decreasing rainfall it may be difficult to harvest more water off roofs

Despite the harsh environment Julie makes a living from her property from plant and seed sales farm tours con-sultancies and occasional seed collecting She has also es-tablished a charity called the lsquoDrylands Foundationrsquo with a mission lsquoto inspire and empower local communities with the practical knowledge to implement ecologically sustainable de-velopment principlesrsquo in dryland environments She plans to continue developing the farm in 2017 she will add a large common room with an ablution block and three B amp B cabins

The Drylands Permaculture Farm is an inspiring property to visit It will feature as one of the highlights of the northern tour during the 13th Australian Permaculture Convergence (APC13) in Perth in October this year

For more information see wwwdrylandsorgau and wwwapc13org

44

The vast majority of gardening books and nurseries will tell you to buy grafted fruit and nut trees Although grafted trees play an important role in permaculture systems in many cases seedling trees may be a better option Fruit and nut trees grown from seed are tough need minimal water and are resistant to many diseas-es And theyrsquore free

HOW TO GROW FROM SEEDThe standard propagation method for such trees is asexual reproduction a piece of the parent plant is either grafted onto rootstock usually a cultivar or the tree is grown from a cut-ting The new tree will produce fruit exactly the same as the parent tree

Producing new trees from a seed is sexual reproduction the seedling has two parents and a unique mix of genetic characteristics This is part of the fun with growing from seed ndash you can produce unique fruit However some of these new trees may be low yielding or have boring or inedible fruit

BENEFITSSeedling trees tend to be larger and more vigorous than graft-ed trees They are able to cope with harsher conditions so are good in poor soils non-irrigated areas and low-input food for-est systems especially where there is a lot of space available

WHICH FRUIT TREESPeaches and nectarines are excellent trees to grow from seed Because they are self-fertile the seeds tend to be true-to-type if you eat a really good peach and plant the seed your tree should produce a similar really good peach They produce fruit early and in dry conditions and are resistant to diseases such as leaf curl

In contrast most apples grown from seedlings will take many years to fruit and will not be the same as the parent However itrsquos often possible to guess the parents of a seedling apple ndash the fruit will have characteristics of both Seedling ap-ples are useful on large properties where trees with less-in-

GROWING FRUIT AND NUT TREES FROM SEEDWords by Beck Lowe

Robyn Rosenfeldt

45

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OW

Left White Sapote seedling from fallen fruit Below Seedling pears and other fruit sprouting in spring

GR AF T OR SEEDLINGSeedling fruit trees are useful when- you want a self-maintaining low-input food growing system- developing large areas with space for experimenting - conditions require a hardy tree for example sites with poor soil frequent winds or limited water- growing peaches and nectarines- growing trees with a large taproot such as walnuts chestnuts and carobs

Grafted fruit trees are useful when- preserving heritage varieties and in other situations where the cultivar matters- developing small spaces where smaller trees are more suitable - a specific rootstock is needed for purposes such as disease resistance or dwarfing

A combination ndash grafting onto seedlings ndash is useful when- there is a medium or large space available- conditions are particularly tough you want a hardy tree and the cultivar is important

teresting fruit can be cut for stock fodder ndash the branches are especially popular with goats

WHICH NUT TREESMany nuts ndash including walnuts pecans pistachios chestnuts and pine nuts ndash have a deep taproot making them great can-didates for growing from seed in situ It is almost impossible to transplant a taproot so getting any of these nut trees from a nursery means that the plant will never reach its full potential or be as hardy

PLANTINGPlanting fruit from seeds is easy eat the fruit and if you enjoy it plant the seed There is no need to dry or otherwise treat the seed first With nuts plant the nut whole do not shell it

Seedlings do best when planted where they are going to grow Suppress grass and other plants around them and they may need some extra water in the first year or so Planting them into pots can make care in the first year easier but this will restrict the roots negating some of the advantages of seedlings

Most fruit tree seeds need a period of cold before they ger-minate so grow them outside exposed to the winter weath-er Most species will sprout the following spring In warmer areas or to germinate seeds faster or out of season keep them in the fridge for a couple of months to encourage them to sprout

DISADVANTAGESConsider carefully what is best for your situation For exam-ple planting a grown cutting or grafted tree is the only way to preserve a heritage cultivar

Grafted trees also tend to fruit earlier Fruiting times for seedlings vary a lot ndash Irsquove had many seedling peaches fruit within the first three years and some seedling pears that still havenrsquot fruited after fifteen

If you have limited space stick to grafted trees as there is less room to experiment and you can use dwarf rootstocks And the vigour of a seedling fruit tree maybe too much for a small space

Beck Lowe

COMBINED APPROACHYou can combine the best of both systems by grafting onto seedling trees This gives you a good root system with a vig-orous plant and your choice of cultivar This is a good use for seedling trees that donrsquot produce interesting fruit ndash the tree does not need to go to waste

46

47

PERMACULTURE PROPERTY DEVELOPMENTWords by Maude Farrugia Photos by Ian Lillington

BU

ILD


In 1988 Bill Mollison stood on top of a swale at Crys-tal Waters Eco Village and declared lsquoPermacultur-ists want to be property developersrsquo While the job description for a property developer might conjure up images of housing market bubbles and terribly-de-signed boxes squeezed onto ever-diminishing parcels of urban land in many ways Bill was on the mon-ey The desire for a patch of onersquos own has led many a permie down the garden path of property owner-ship But what if there was a way to create a living out of ethically and sustainably developing land for the future WHY BECOME A PROPERTY DEVELOPERThe need for more environmentally-sensitive housing is a no-brainer But is that argument enough to make you put your energy into becoming a property developer Permaculture teacher and property developer Ian Lillington certainly thinks so He and his partner Marita went into the business to create sensible sensitive subdivisions and to help people move out of big metropolitan areas and set up a good life in a smaller town

HOW IS PERMACULTURE DEVELOPMENT DIFFERENTIan says there are many differences between his work and that of local estate developers but the main one is setting lim-its lsquoWe accept a smaller income from our business than some would as we are willing to spend more on infrastructure to ensure houses have passive solar orientation insulation space for gardens and solar systemsrsquo These are eco-features that most developers would simply overlook

Limiting the number of houses on a site is another factor Ian and Maritarsquos most recent development ndash a single house on 500 m2 in Hepburn Springs (Victoria) ndash is a good example lsquoA mainstream developer would probably have built two units here with no useful garden and made more money But we

made sure that all the topsoil from the house and path areas was concentrated into the remaining 300 m2 of garden beds so that maximum food production was possible and the new owner received ready-made herb and vegetable gardens and six fruit trees as part of the packagersquo

Ian and Marita always leave a garden for food and some-times as much as one fifth of a hectare (half an acre) for production lsquoWe will not cram in too many houses and in our current development we could have made twelve 600 m2 blocks (according to planning law) but instead we have made three blocks of around 3000 m2 to leave room for the gar-dens chooks orchards and windbreaksrsquo

BELLS AND WHISTLESAs well as prioritising garden size over house size permacul-ture developments usually forgo the bells and whistles that a conventional new development might offer (such as double car garage and energy guzzling aircon) in exchange for a set of bells and whistles of their own solar panels water tanks composting toilets and topnotch insulation are expected stan-dards As is northern orientation which as Ian explains can be an extra cost lsquoThis [good orientation] can mean spending more on creating roads and services instead of a simpler ap-proach that would leave a small block where a designer would have to face a building to the east or westrsquo

COMMUNITYCommunity is a vital factor in permaculture property develop-ments and one of the most overlooked factors in the soulless developments that surround our major cities For this reason Ian and Marita work in towns with an existing community of like-minded folk with jobs and transport close by

However there are eco-developments that do almost the exact opposite Setting up a community from scratch is cer-tainly not an undertaking for the faint-hearted but this is ex-actly what some permaculture developers try to do Crystal

48

Waters Eco Village in Queensland (where Bill Mollison made his famous speech) was developed on a site far from any existing community infrastructure but is now home to 200 residents with many small permaculture based businesses to boot Witchcliffe Eco Village a planned ecovillage near Mar-garet River in Western Australia has also made communi-ty a central focus of the development with a village green community centre retirement and affordable housing all part of the mix to encourage the establishment of a diverse and active community

Ian and Maritarsquos developments achieve this more subtly be-ing located in growing towns of like-minded permie people by developing two three or even more properties on the same site so that new residents know theyrsquore guaranteed to have excellent neighbours

FINANCES AND FAIR SHARESTherersquos an old adage that you canrsquot make money without spending money and that is certainly true of property devel-opment But is property development only for those with the privilege of a healthy bank balance Ian and Marita say itrsquos not so lsquoWe financed our projects by saving a small deposit and then borrowing the rest of the money from the Bendigo Bank We then bought the cheapest house in the street and worked hard on adding valuersquo After their first project the couple made a surplus and were able to use this on their next project and so on Theyrsquore chipping away at their loan with each proj-ect and aim to be debt free eight years from their start date While they acknowledge that others may see debt as risky they know that without it the projects they are working on simply wouldnrsquot happen

Another way they mitigate their risks is by keeping their projects small-scale lsquoAfter being involved in several large-scale eco-developments with long lead times and large up-front investments we decided to focus on smaller-scale de-velopmentsrsquo Ian explains Good planning and an accountant are lsquomust-havesrsquo when taking on the risk of property develop

ment Ian adds lsquoAccountants are one of the most underesti-mated parts of good sustainable developmentrsquo

LOCATION LOCATION AND ZONINGFor the budding property developer Ian suggests finding land that is zoned residential in towns rather than major cities for two reasons Firstly town-zoning avoids the need to re-zone land as commercial or farm zones can prove problematic Secondly country towns and cities have much more avail-able (not to mention affordable) land In Victoria where Ian and Marita live and work land in new estates is usually sold in blocks of between 300ndash600 m2 As the mythical lsquoquarter acrersquo is just over 1000 m2 itrsquos possible to buy a house on a typical older house block divide it into two and still end up with a block the same size as yoursquod get in your average new suburb

Creating a development in a desirable location with good public transport access to major cities and in areas where local work is readily available is also an important part of adding to the sustainability of the lives of those who will live there Another tip from Ian is to limit your work to two or maybe three Council areas so that yoursquore working close to home and with soils climate and people you know well

IS PERMACULTURE PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT FOR YOUInspired to create a permaculture property empire of your own If yoursquore passionate about beating developers at their own game creating inspirational and sustainable places for people to live and yoursquore not scared of a bit of bit of hard work and financial risk then property development might be the permaculture niche for you

For more info contact Ian at ianlillingtoninternodeonnet

49

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ROCKET STOVESWords and images by Joel Meadows and Dan Palmer


Most of our household energy requirements come in the form of space heating water heating or cook-ing with these making up a large percentage of our monthly bill Rocket stoves are an example of appro-priate technology which can cover all of those needs cost you next to nothing to build and just a few sticks to run

Rocket stove combustion systems deserve attention for a few reasons

1 they offer close to complete combustion of the wood meaning they are hyper-efficient and burn super-clean

2 they can reach very high temperatures and can be hooked up to almost anything we want to use that heat for

3 they can use wood typically considered too small to call firewood

4 they are easily built from common materialsThatrsquos right ndash you can build these systems in a day or two

and then watch them turn twigs into heat far more efficient-

ly than most wood stoves with far less set-up cost If you are good at scavenging bits they can cost virtually nothing to build and when you prune your fruit trees you can get the fuel you need to cook dinner heat your home and enjoy a nice hot shower

HOW ROCKET COMBUSTION DIFFERS FROM NORMAL COMBUSTIONThe main difference between a normal fireplace or woodstove and a rocket stove is that rocket combustion is close to com-plete When wood is burned it releases volatile compounds that we recognise as smoke or soot or creosote In a rocket stove these compounds are sucked into the insulated and very hot lsquoburn tunnelrsquo of the unit where they combust releasing even more heat energy to drive the rocket process unlike a normal fire where they are blown out the chimney

This distinctive sucking of the flames down into the burn tunnel and the resultant lsquoroarrsquo is what gives rocket stoves their name This is also a part of their magic Rocket stoves

50

Previous page Baking breadThis page clockwise from above A rocket conversion on a conventional oven Small off-cuts of wood are all thatrsquos needed to get the heat cranking The drum style rocket stove is not only functional itrsquos beautiful Opposite page above to below Bike-size camp-ing rocket stove Stove sketch

51

are open where the wood is fed in allowing lots of oxygen to be drawn into the unit As the fire starts and the burn tunnel heats up the rising hot air races up the heat riser drawing lots of air behind it This incoming air flows into the feed tube and across the burning wood ndash creating the same effect as pointing a big air-blower at your fire It gets really hot the wood burns beautifully and you hear the air roaring as it charges through the system

In conventional wood stoves the air intake is small and adjustable to even smaller This lack of oxygen chokes the combustion leading to cool burns incomplete combustion

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ILD

and lots of smoke and creosote In rocket stoves when com-bustion is complete what comes out the chimney is pretty much only carbon dioxide meaning no smoke smoke means incomplete combustion unburned fuel or wasted energy We are culturally trained to associate smoke with fire but with rock-et stoves sometimes when there is no smoke there is still fire

Having ensured complete combustion and hence maximum heat generation only then do we think about using the resultant heat Conventional wood stoves are sucking heat away from the combustion chamber for cooking space heating or with lsquowet backrsquo water heaters meaning the unit just canrsquot get hot enough for combustion to be complete resulting in smoke The com-bustion chamber of the rocket stove is heavily insulated to pre-vent premature heat loss and an enormous amount of heat is generated by the efficient combustion process

WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THAT HEATWhen combustion is complete we can extract heat from the stove at the top of the heat riser And here is where your imag-ination and inner inventor can run wild anything you can think to do with very hot air can be done from this point

Here are a few things that can be powered with a rocket stove

Oven ndash either a converted conventional oven with the rocket under it or a purpose built barrel oven from old lsquo44 gallonrsquo (around 200 litre) drums

Cooktop or BBQ ndash old cast iron BBQ plates can work well or heavy copper radiator plates to put pots and pans on or just cook over the stream of hot air

Hot-water systems ndashwersquove made various systems from ones that heat a big-vented tank of water with a copper coil running through it to heat exchanger thermosiphon units boosting solar hot water

Space heaters ndash often seen with an inverted lsquo44 gallonrsquo drum being the main radiator with the flue running through heavy earth or stone elements (rocket mass-heaters)

Take care A well-built rocket stove can work so well it can be dangerous Danrsquos rocket oven once got to 180 degC in six min-utes 230 degC in seven minutes and 325 degC in thirteen minutes As for Joelrsquos latest rocket oven on his first test run the whole inner skin of the feed tube was glowing red as was the bottom of the inside of the oven the thermometer read 350 degC and the roast vegies were pretty charred (he has since tamed it down to 200 degC)

While quite popular in some parts of the world rocket stoves are a relatively rare sight in Australian permaculture systems They are an excellent example of an appropriate technology alternative to conventional means of heating food water or space and they are well worth finding out more about

A complete guide to making your own rocket stove by Tim Barker (with illustrations by Joel Meadows) is now available as an ebook Available at wwwpipmagazinecomau Free for current Pip Magazine subscribers email hellopipmagazinecomau to order your free copy

52

53

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ILD

PHIL GALL ARCHITECTWords by Ben Buggy Photo by Robyn Rosenfeldt


P R O F I L E

It was a younger Phil Gall writing for Source in 1971 who set out into Victoriarsquos East Gippsland to report on a mon-umental natural farming conference He came back with a prophetic glimpse into holistic agriculture that in-forms his design work today

Phil is a youthful seventy-five living and working in Berma-gui on the far south coast of NSW As an architect landscape designer and specialist in water management he sees himself as a problem solver

Phil is renting an old holiday shack brought down and reas-sembled from the Snowy Mountains looking out over Wallaga Lake lsquoThe place is cold in winter and hot in summerrsquo he says but it is surrounded by the beauty of the landscape and he is enjoying a sweet and simple life there

Phil grew up on the west coast of Tasmania in the 1940sndash50s lsquoMy father knew how to get by in the bush with-out much ndash scouting and camping in an extreme climate of rain and cold I learned how little you need in terms of shelter in order to be comfortable Mum used to say ldquoBefore you buy anything see if you can make itrdquorsquo These values still inform his work today

Philrsquos first love was architecture and when his father moved the family to Victoria for work Phil studied architec-ture in Melbourne What we now call sustainable architecture was Philrsquos natural inclination following the influence of his parents But it was some time before he found others who shared this interest

ldquoIn the 70s we were inspired and hopeful with unbound-ed energy We were involved in everything together We had hope and a belief that we only needed a few people to change the world We pulled down fences between our backyards and shared our fruit trees and producerdquo explains Phil

A great collaborator Phil was involved in setting up some of Melbournersquos most enduring alternative institutionsndashCERES Collingwood Childrenrsquos Farm and Friends of the Earth He also designed the first Steiner kindergarten in Melbourne in Warranwood

Philrsquos natural inclination was to design buildings and land-scapes with recycled materials and an understanding of the seasons ndash what we now call sustainable architecture

But architecture Philrsquos primary trade was not enough by

itself He sensed that there was more In 1971 years before permaculture came about he worked for an alternative news-paper titled Source lsquoWe started this newspaper to publish good news inspired by similar publications in the USArsquo ex-plains Phil lsquoMy brief was design ecology and farming which I was very passionate aboutrsquo

So it was in 1971 that Phil set out for Paynesville 300 km east of Melbourne in East Gippsland to a natural farming con-ference hosted by local farmers It was there that he met PA Yeomans Alex Podelinski and Peter Bennett ndash experts in their fields of keyline water management biodynamics and organic gardening respectively

lsquoThey were able to answer the farmersrsquo questions and ex-plain the science of why organics works in simple languagersquo says Phil lsquoIrsquod already started thinking about architecture eco-logically and the landscape being ecological so they were adding to it the farming and the gardening thing Everything fitted into place ndash I just wanted to add it all togetherrsquo

Some years later in 1977 Phil recalls a phone call out of the blue ndash from a man calling himself Mollison rsquoBill came to visit and ended up staying on the couch and I took him about to see what Irsquod been doing in the landscape with companion planting mixing vegetables with landscape using drip irriga-tion systems and putting food plants in and making them dec-orative in gardensrsquo

Permaculture had arrived and Phil was able to bring all of his experience together and began teaching Phil introduced Bill Mollison to PA Yeomans at a course he was holding called lsquoLand Plant and Waterrsquo

Phil later met David Holmgren and they became fast friends lsquoI was older and I was a misfit but I was young at heart I consider David a mentorrsquo Phil says

Phil is someone who will never stop learning When asked what simple wisdom he can offer to the younger generation coming behind him Phil replies lsquoWe can become more sen-sitive ndash to appreciate that we only exist because of naturersquo

Phil Gall runs Design Evolution ndash architecture landscape design and water management solutions Contact him at phildesignevolutionnetau

54

WILD HARVESTFIVE MODERN-DAY HUNTER-GATHERERS SHARE THEIR PASSION FOR EATING FROM THE WILD

Lent

il Pu

rbric

kGr

own

amp G

athe

red

U S E E D G E S A N D VA LU E T H E M A R G I N A L

Words by Robyn Rosenfeldt

55

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T

ELKA MOSESHVILI Eka is an urban forager She wants to show people how they can maintain a normal lifestyle with a nine-to-five job and still lead a secret life as a forager

Can you describe the foods you harvest from the lsquowildrsquo and how you do itI am lucky to live in Melbournersquos northern suburbs (aka the European fruit forest) and I mainly forage for fruit as itrsquos an easy and ubiquitous target I follow the lsquoif itrsquos facing the foot-path itrsquos yoursrsquo rule as a tree grower myself I expect anything facing the street to be picked In summerautumn most of my fruit was supplied by the neighbourhood figs prickly pears mulberries grapes apples pears and lemons Another good rule is to ask the grower Usually people are happy to share

What inspired you to start harvesting your food in this wayI grew up in Europe where I spent summers at my grandpar-entsrsquo place climbing my favourite mulberry tree or waiting for the first perfect fig to ripen There were also many mush-roomberry picking trips regular lsquoforagingrsquo for raspberries from neighbours and helping my grandparents with the har-vest in autumn Your childhood experiences shape your life and itrsquos up to you to choose how I chose to be a forager

What do you love most about foraging The creativity and learning opportunities I spent the whole summer trying out different recipes and smoothie combina-tions I also got into fermenting which I feel is a natural exten-sion of foraging and oversupply My next steps are to learn the arts of pruning and grafting to preserve my favourite trees and to get into local communities for swaps and harvests

What differences have you noticed between foraged produce compared with other sources

Once you taste real food itrsquos hard to go back to commercially grown produce Most of the time it tastes so much better although sometimes it is an acquired taste Sometimes you can accidentally discover a hidden or forgotten treasure ndash a rare specimen that is not commercially grown and difficult to find in the nurseries You can step into a completely different world of gastronomy

What positive impacts would there be if more people started to forage People could understand ingredients better if they could rec-ognise the tree that the produce has come from

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start foraging Be observant and experimental talk to people If yoursquore not sure what something is just take a photo or collect a sam-ple and ask around To find the best foraging routes take the roads less travelled the front yards in the back streets old laneways full of forgotten treasures and go to the hidden cor-ners of the parks

If you have abundance ferment it or make a jam And please never be greedy ndash donrsquot take something that you donrsquot like just because itrsquos free The birds will have it eventually (further spreading the seeds)

For more information see Feral Fruit Trees Melbourne at wwwferalfruitmelbournewordpresscom

Maude Farrugia

56

MEG ULMAN Meg is one-fifth of the collective Artist as Family She lives on an around 1000 m2 (lsquoquarter-acrersquo) permaculture plot near Daylesford central Victoria About eighty percent of what she consumes comes from Victoria with the rest from New South Wales and South Australia She buys only a few things from overseas tea spices miso and tamari

Can you describe which foods you forage and how you do itMy family and I regularly eat about thirty autonomously grow-ing plants from our garden and neighbourhood We walk and cycle everywhere and so are in constant contact with what we call our lsquoforaging commonsrsquo I always carry a bag and pocketknife with me We eat foraged plants raw cooked fer-mented (for preservation and to increase the bioavailability of their minerals) dried for tea and blended in tinctures and salves We also snare rabbits eat roadkill catch fish and kill our own poultry

What inspired you to start foraging your food this wayI grew up in suburban Melbourne with fruit trees and a mod-est vegie patch and my favourite after-school snack was sourgrass Oxalis stricta When I discovered permaculture I attended an edible-weed walk I had already been eating dandelion sorrel wild rocket and fennel but I had to do the walk twice to differentiate between what I was seeing Could you really eat all these plants

What do you love most about foraging for food like this When I see my three-year-old picking flowers and leaves to eat and identifying various mushrooms I feel a strong sense

of optimism He is learning about his place within his local biosphere and he will always know how to feed himself We forage because it makes sense to us to eat free food that doesnrsquot require sowing watering tending refrigerating pack-aging or transporting

What differences have you noticed between wild-harvested produce compared with other sourcesWhen we eat produce that is self-sown and tenacious we em-body the essence of what we consume and the environment which has provided it We avoid eating sick animals soggy greens or fruit thatrsquos over-ripe as they donrsquot feel vital If we eat freshly picked organic lettuce it is more nutrient-dense than lettuce grown in a monoculture that is sprayed pack-aged in plastic transported and refrigerated in a supermarket for several days

What positive impacts would there be if more people started to forage When I started foraging I began to understand my place within the local environment more intimately and the importance of living a low-impact life If more people started foraging Irsquom certain that they would feel a deeper sense of connection to the natural world around them

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start foraging Go with a foraging friend or take a guided weed walk so you can learn the ins and outs of foraging There are many good books out there too make sure you know what yoursquore eating

To find out more see

Patr

ick

Jone

s

57

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ADRIAN IODICEAdrian came from an Italian family and grew up in Melbourne He was introduced to harvesting and hunting wild food at a very young age He now lives with his wife and three kids in a semi self-sustainable lifestyle on a shared property in the Bega Valley of southern New South Wales

Can you describe which foods you harvest from the wild and how you do itFor many years I hunted rabbits feral goats and feral pigs with firearms but for the past ten years or so I have mainly harvested feral deer with a bow and arrow

What inspired you to start harvesting your food this wayThe first time I went hunting was with my best friend his father and his grandfather We harvested rabbits that day and I was hooked

What do you love most about hunting Shooting with a firearm is just that lsquoshootingrsquo but put a bow in my hands and all my senses spring to life While Irsquom in the forest all my senses are completely focused my hearing smell eyesight and even my touch I slow right down almost into a meditation I feel a connection to the earth the forest and to the animal

What differences have you noticed between produce yoursquove hunted and other sourcesI know game is fresh and healthy with no drenching or an-tibiotics just juicy lean meat And there is an unbeatable satisfaction when I feed my family with something that Irsquove harvested The gratitude I have for the animal Irsquom eating is humbling and the life force and sustenance we get from that

animal is overwhelming You just donrsquot get that from a plastic wrapped piece of meat

What positive impacts would there be if more people started to hunt All animals I hunt are species that were introduced into the Australian environment If more people got out there and hunted for meat it would help manage the feral animal pop-ulations in this country significantly and avoid the suffering of animals taking poison baits All this food could feed com-munities

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start hunting If you are considering hunting for meat and you donrsquot know where to start join a hunting club most of them have field days where they teach you how to dress an animal track deer and all sorts of important things Or if you know someone who hunts ask them to take you along with them

Hunting is a regulated activity in most of Australia and the licence or permission you require depends on a range of things such as the jurisdiction weapon type of animal (eg feral) land tenure (eg private or public) and purpose

To be successful when hunting you have to really know the animal you hunt Read about their habits what they eat the type of country they prefer to live in and get out there and study them

Robyn Rosenfeldt

58

JORDAN GOE TZEJordan is a marine ecologist at Curtin University in Perth Western Australia He likes to catch and eat the things he studies so hersquos been trying to come up with ways to limit the impact he has when fishing wild-caught seafood

Can you describe which foods you harvest from the wild and how you do itI love catching and eating all types of seafood from cockles foraged from the seashore to deep sea fish I use a wide range of techniques and tools from a standard fishing rod to spe-cially designed cockle sieves catching crabs by hand Swan River prawns with butterfly net and lobster with lsquocray looprsquo and spearfishing

What inspired you to start harvesting your food from the wildMy dad has always been a mad keen fisher and hersquos been diving and spearing along the south coast of WA for most of his life and I seem to have followed in his footsteps Dad also inspired me to pursue a career in marine science I believe that there is a compromise achievable between fishing and conservation that can ensure kids of the future can go out and catch a nice feed of seafood

What do you love most about fishingI love cooking and experimenting with the wide range of sea-food available along the WA coastline In Australia we are ex-tremely fussy and limit ourselves to consuming a few species that are often the most vulnerable to overfishing Because of this Irsquove started to work with my friend Paul Iskov of Fervor [Australian pop-up dining see wwwfervorcomau] to come up with recipes that use a broader range of seafood and make better use of the waste products that are just as delicious if cooked the right way

What differences have you noticed between wild seafood compared with other sourcesConsuming wildcaught seafood ndash while itrsquos fresh rather than frozen ndash is definitely the best way to go if you want to get the most flavour Seventy-two per cent of the seafood consumed in Australia is imported Yet Australian commercial fishers are throwing back perfectly good wildcaught seafood which doesnrsquot have a market because people arenrsquot familiar with the species or donrsquot know how to cook them properly

What positive impacts would there be if more people started to fish from the wild If we start to consume a broader range of species and use the waste products from the seafood we are already catching it will take pressure off the more vulnerable species that are fished heavily

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to start sustainable fishing Go to the Department of Fisheries website and follow guide-lines on bag limits and size limits when fishing and be ad-venturous Donrsquot throw something back just because a fishing guide gives it one or two stars Try a few different things and prepare them in different ways Finally try to use all parts of the fish and cook things whole where possible

Lau

rie B

enso

n

59

ROHAN ANDERSONRohan eats fresh produce avoids processed foods grows his own food hunts for wild meat and lives within his means In his early thirties his diet of processed food and no fresh pro-duce was causing major health problems He knew he had to change Now his body has repaired mentally he feels better and hersquos broken out of the system that controlled him

Can you describe which foods you harvest from the wild and how you do itWhen the summer ends and rain arrives the kids and I get excited about visiting the forests about campfire cooking and long adventurous hikes carrying baskets of mushrooms In autumn we pick wild pears from secret trees and vibrant fruit from the prickly pear By winter the larder is well stocked to get us through the lean times As the warmer weather arrives with it comes fragrant elderflower and by springtime there is barely a need to forage when there is so much food grow-ing in the garden In summer we pick weeds and from wild fruit trees At the height of summer we pluck yabbies from damns and blackberries from tawny bushes Nearing the end of summer wild figs provide a sweet treat and so the cycle continues

What inspired you to start harvesting your food from the wildI was introduced to wild food as a child growing up on a farm in the bush As an adult I forgot about my childhood ways but the more unhappy I became with my city life the more I longed for the simplicity of country living I started off simply learning a few new mushroom species As the years passed new items would arrive on the picking list My relationship with nature nudged me to return to my old ways and has improved my view of my new world

What positive impacts would there be if more people started to forage from the wild It doesnrsquot make sense for people in urban areas to drive long distances to forage in the wild There are wild foods in urban areas and backyards that are currently going to waste Hunt-ing for wild tucker helps you to develop a better understand-ing of how nature works and the effects of water climate and pollution this can influence more positive decisions in your life

What do you think of the current food systemOnce you discover how much environmental degradation comes from the way big companies produce package and transport food you realise the whole system makes no sense We are seeing the decline of health as a result of heavily pro-cessed foods but instead of limiting these foods we are med-icating the symptoms

What do you think needs to be done to improve itI donrsquot have all the answers but I do share my story in the hope that it might get people thinking about food and its im-pacts In an ideal world Irsquod like to see people embracing a seasonal menu for home cooking that has nutritional value and is lighter on our natural resources

Rohan Anderson

EA

T

60

EDIBLE FLOWERSWords and photos by Sarah Price

U S E A N D VA LU E D I V E R S I T Y

Anyone interested in edible gardening tends to grow vegetables but have you ever considered growing ed-ible flowers

When you start looking into which flowers are edible it is surprising to find that most gardeners have at least one va-riety of edible flower growing in their garden The wonderful thing about growing flowers for food is that it gives you a good reason to take up growing space with them Ideally our gar-dens are filled not only with vegetables and greens but also flowers for us and the bees

There are many varieties of edible flowers but these top five are easy to grow and perform well Flowers can stay fresh for hours after picking ndash but avoid the heat of the day and place the stems in water until you use them

1 PANSYThese are delicious in salads and the best way to use them is with mint leaves on top of a butter or chocolate cake The flowers are high in vitamin C and the young leaves also edible are high in vitamin A The flowers have a delicate mild fla-vour and the heirloom variety Arkwright Ruby has a stronger almost vanilla flavour

2 NASTURTIUMThis is one edible bloom we all know about children love to bite the end off and suck the nectar The flower is peppery and best suited to savoury use Whip up a herb dip and stuff it into the nasturtium flowers or add them to fresh garden salads

3 CALENDULAThese flowers look gorgeous adorning a cake Or add the pet-als to rice as a saffron substitute

4 ROSEThese look special atop a cake I like using an old variety of a climbing tea rose theyrsquore small and can either be eaten with the cake or pulled off afterwards

5 CHIVESOnion garlic or plain chive flowers pack a lot of flavour Garlic chives produce a delicate purple bloom and onion chives grow a larger paler flower As well as these Allium species the related society garlic Tulbaghia violacea is also useful in savoury cooking

USING FRESH FLOWERSIf yoursquore trying to avoid using refined ingredients in the kitch-en having beautiful edible flowers to decorate cakes is a won-derful alternative to using coloured icing they look stunning

61

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T

either used whole or with different sized and coloured pet-als scattered for a confetti effect Pick them first thing in the morning wash them pop them into an airtight container and freeze them for use later that day They stay fresh and bright even during the warmer months

When adding flowers to salads pick them at the same time as the salad greens and use them straight away

You can also preserve edible flowers either by drying or sugar coating Tip Only use flowers grown organically in your own garden If buying plants from a nursery donrsquot use any flowers that may be open or forming on the plant at the time as they may have been treated with chemicals Wash flowers before use trimming the stem and removing the stamen

RECIPES STUFFED NASTURTIUM FLOWERSThis isnrsquot an exact recipe ndash taste frequently and use your instinctsIngredients1frac12 cups sour cream (or softened cream or cottage cheese)a large handful of a mixture of your favourite herbs and greens from the garden (eg nasturtium leaves basil parsley dill chives sorrel) finely chopped or snippedfrac12 cup of cashews or walnuts finely choppedfrac14 cup of pickled capers drained and finely chopped2 dessertspoons whole egg mayonnaise (homemade is best)fresh lemon juice20 freshly picked nasturtium flowers to serveMethodMix together the dip ingredients and season to taste Add more herbs capers or mayonnaise as desired or a squeeze of lemon juiceThe dip can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge until neededTo serve use a teaspoon to fill the flowers and serve imme-diately

DECORATIVE ICE CUBESIngredientsUse small flowers such as pansies or winter tarragon If using larger flowers simply use the petals whole or snip them upMethodTo ensure that the flowers are in the middle of the ice cubes half fill an ice cube tray with water and add the flowers or petals Put into the freezer for at least four hours or over-night When completely frozen top up the ice cubes with more water and freeze Place the cubes into iced tea cordial or your favourite cool drink

knitionaryrecipesblogspotcom

62

This page clockwise from above left Material collec-tion Nan power Every colour of the rainbow Op shop fashion Page 65 above Double denim knee patches in action below Stitch in time

63

The slow movementsrsquo gradual transformation of every facet of our lives has (unhurriedly) extended itself to the rabid international fast-fashion industry While the idea of lsquofashionrsquo might seem frivolous to those of us who walk the path of permaculture the way we clad ourselves can have a very alarming environmental im-pact and one which we often overlook while wersquore busy in the garden smelling the rosemary

If you own clothes then you are almost certainly a partici-pant in the fast-fashion industry Open your wardrobe Have a really good look Who made your clothes socks and undies What are they made of Where did you get them How long have you owned them When will you replace them And where will they go when yoursquore done with them

Fashion ndash though the word might make you cringe ndash is something we all participate in one way or another on a daily basis Clothes are our wrappers they tell the world who we are and carry their very own cultural and personal identity baggage They can tell us much about class status occupa-tion wellbeing and culture so itrsquos no wonder wersquove been co-erced collectively into the trillion dollar fast-fashion industry ever striving to perfect the image of ourselves we wish to project to the world

Conscious eating is so much a part of living permaculture but conscious dressing ndash when we think long and hard about earth care and people care in relation to our threads ndash has only really come to the fore since disasters such as at the Rana Plaza in Bangladesh (where over 1100 people died and 2500 people were injured) and crises in the cotton fields of India ringing bells to warn us that there is trouble in our ward-robes

Only a few generations ago the story was very different Locally manufactured clothes and fibres were more the norm Now itrsquos extremely difficult to source locally grown and made clothing Fast fashion ndash dominated by billion dollar global companies peddling low-cost low-quality clothing ndash is the overwhelming source of clothing for consumers around the

world The lsquoslow fashionrsquo movement is a reaction to this mod-ern throwaway textile culture

Indeed the very nature of the word rsquofashionrsquo stands at odds with everything the slow movement represents but take note clothes cannot be in slow fashion they are slow fashion It represents conscious dressing the cultivation of a classic and permanent personal style and a stronger connection to the origins (and destination) of your clothes And the good news is permaculture principles can help us on this journey

DESIGN FROM PATTERNS TO DETAILS OBSERVE amp INTERACT USE SMALL AND SLOW SOLUTIONSGet yourself a notebook (or a spreadsheet if yoursquore that way inclined) and write down what you wear every single day for a month a season a year The results will give you an insight into what types of clothing you actually value and use

After my month of sartorial field notes I was able to halve my already somewhat lean wardrobe I found that I didnrsquot wear some of my rsquofavouritersquo items of clothing even once Others that I was barely aware I owned I wore more than ten times Black and blue featured heavily in my list of notes a useful pointer for future shopping expeditions As well as making me aware of my self-imposed uniform this exercise gave me a strong understanding of the difference between the clothes I like to wear and the clothes I like to think I wear (my own personal identity baggage)

Considering this information against what you do each day will further expand your understanding of your own clothing patterns and needs For example I spend two days a week in the garden another two working from home and the rest of my time chasing a toddler around the neighbourhood For me an extensive pyjama wardrobe sturdy shoes a comfy jumper collection and dedicated gardening clothes are a must And yet my wardrobe contained a beautiful collection of dresses I love (but hardly ever wear) and hardly any sturdy garden clothes I tend to wear whatever while getting grubby in the

SLOW FASHIONWords by Maude Farrugia Photos by Hiromi Yuasa

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garden which is a very good way to race through several pairs of perfectly good jeans but not really an ideal way to practise slow fashion

Lesson learned

USE AND VALUE RENEWABLE RESOURCES AND SERVICESMany outdoor-wear fibres are made from non-renewable pet-rochemicals known to break down as they are worn and to leave a trail of microplastics that fill our oceans and water-ways hello nylon polyester and polar fleece Natural fibres are a lot better though they do produce methane (and in the case of wool ammonia) when they break down in landfill where they very often end up Cotton ndash the worldrsquos most pop-ular natural fibre ndash may well be renewable but the energy used to farm process fashion it into garments and then de-liver them to your doorstep is likely not

Sourcing local fibres is ideal but limited in Australia we do grow and process wool pretty well and thatrsquos about it According to Cotton Australia we are lsquoa relatively minor pro-ducer on the world scale but the worldrsquos second-largest exporterrsquo Which basically means that we grow our cotton ship it overseas to be processed and fashioned into garments that are then shipped back home to be sold to consumers

Short of becoming naturists what are we to do Avoiding synthetic clothes is a great start Truly valuing the cost of our clothes is another buy quality items care for them so that they live a long life (mending and careful washing here we come) and when their time is up choose the most sensible path for their retirement ndash as a rag tomato tie or compost carbon the choice is yours

When buying new clothes itrsquos important to be mindful of whom you are buying them from Is your purchase propping up the fast-fashion oligarchy or are you supporting a local craftsperson who is working to create a better clothing indus-try alternative We have a growing number of local designers and makers here in Australia and New Zealand committing to using sustainable textiles zero-waste patterns fair man-ufacturing practices and non-toxic dyes Itrsquos an exciting time to get dressed

Often these clothes cost more than their big brand equiv-alents but they will last and be supporting a better fashion future And their price tag reinforces the true value of cloth-ing the cost should reflect the effort it took to grow the fibre design the garment and sweat over its manufacture

Another useful resource which is often overlooked is our grannies No one knows how to darn better than your nonna naniji yiayia or abuela so take time to pick a mending master-mindrsquos brain and inhale as many tricks and techniques while you can If you donrsquot have your own personal darning diva to hand hook yourself up with your local neighbourhood housersquos mending circle or find someone you can trade your skills for in exchange for their mending talent

PRODUCE NO WASTESometimes one personrsquos trash is indeed anotherrsquos treasure but very often goods donated to op shops end up as landfill Donating unwanted clothes to op shops does not necessarily mean you are producing no waste if theyrsquore just taking a more

convoluted route to the bin Gifting unwanted clothes can shift the burden of your less awesome choices on to other individ-uals and organisations so before you chuck it think of your potential donation as a gift Would anyone actually value this item Love it Wear it to death so that it can be repaired and worn to death again Donrsquot beat yourself up about clothes in your life that donrsquot measure up to these testing questions but try to think of ways you could use them first before gifting them as fabric remnants for future garment repairs by re-purposing or repairing them into something new and amaz-ing or as cleaning or kitchen rags

Get choosy How many clothes do you actually need in your wardrobe Having fewer clothes makes it simpler to get dressed in the morning and face the world and lessens your chances of a daily existential style crisis Making great clothing choices ndash choosing items you truly need for quality durability and timelessness ndash will also help you to produce no waste as you simply wonrsquot be able to part with them until they are rags

VALUE THE MARGINAL My nan is a master-mender (ex-tailor migrant and garment worker) and half the time you wouldnrsquot even notice that shersquos repaired an item Feel free to go to town upcycling your clothes with whimsical applique owl patches if this suits your personal style But for me repairing clothes close to their original status is my way of valuing a past-its-prime item

Darning and mending well can take some skill and under-standing of textile construction but itrsquos something you could pick up in a (cr)afternoon It also requires a good stash of fabric remnants and bits and bobs Creating your own stash can be a rewarding exercise in valuing the marginal and will help use up some of your unneeded clothes My nan with her Maltese pedigree has a stash to rival any shersquos repaired the bung elastic in a pair of PJs with tape saved from a dead elec-tric blanket makes the worldrsquos softest hankies out of old flan-nelette sheets and aprons out of stained tablecloths and is generally an expert in valuing even the tiniest things she has in her life and finding beautiful and creative ways to thwart their path to landfill She wears an apron when she cooks overalls in the garden and cares deeply about everything she owns in short she values it Can you learn a thing or two from this I know I can

In my few months of conscious dressing Irsquove noted that ex-cusing yourself from the global fast-fashion industry is a long term project that requires time thoughtfulness the gaining of skills and observation My advice take it slow

65

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DOUBLE DENIM KNEE PATCHESThis is Nanrsquos tried-and-true technique for the most-sturdy knee patches for jeans this side of the Mediterranean You will need

bull jeans with busted kneesbull scraps of sturdy denim for the patches and a soft

sturdy fabric to reinforce the insidebull a sewing machinebull pins and threadUnpick the outer seam of each leg from about four cen-

timetres above the top of the tear in the knees to about the same below

Cut a patch of reinforcement fabric that will fit over the tear with two centimetres extra on each side

Cut a square of denim that will fit over the tear with three centimetres extra on the top and bottom and one centi-metre overlap on each of the sides

Turn the jeans inside out and place the reinforcement fab-ric flat over the area to be repaired with the tear in the centre Pin it in place Using the unpicked seam of your jeans as an opening for your sewing machine to fit through sew this fab-ric patch securely in place

Turn the jeans right side out Pin the denim patch over the front of the tear with a one centimetre hem tucked under around each edge Again using the unpicked seam of your jeans as an opening for your sewing machine to fit through sew the denim securely in place You can run a few decora-tive lines horizontally across the patch if that floats your boat

Turn the jeans inside out again stitch the unpicked seam back together with a line of straight stitching and finish the edges with zigzag stitch for security

Turn the jeans right side out and enjoy wearing them again

66

This is a pretty easy project that would suit a beginner though it will be easier if you already have some sew-ing experience This is a pretty easy project that would suit a beginner though it will be easier if you already have some sewing experience

YOU WILL NEEDbull A singlet [I got mine from my local op shop for $2

but any stretchy singlet will do]bull A rectangular piece of fabric A lightweight fabric

works well as it doesnrsquot get too bulky when itrsquos gathered The short edge of the rectangle should be the length you want the skirt of your dress to be and the long edge should be around one and a half to two metres depending on how gathered you want the skirt to be [I also got the skirt fabric from the op shop for $2]

bull Scissors pins and threadbull A sewing machine ndash you could do this project by

hand but it would be a BIG jobbull Trim such as ricrac braid but thatrsquos optional

HOW TO MAKE IT1 Try on the singlet and mark where you want the waist of the skirt to sit This could be on your actual waist (the narrowest part) or you could make it higher or lower depending on taste Mark this with a pin on both of the side seams2 Take the singlet off and fold it in half Cut straight across one centimetre lower than your pin marks Make this as straight as possible3 Make your skirt fabric into a tube by sewing the two short edges together with the right sides together4 Run a gathering stitch around the top of your skirt ndash this can be done by hand or by setting your machine to the longest stitch length ndash and then gather it until itrsquos a little bigger than your waist measurement and big enough to slip over your head5 Now comes the trickiest part of the whole shebang you need to attach the singlet to the gathered edge of your skirt and to stretch the singlet as yoursquore sewing To do this evenly fold your singlet in half and mark the quarters with pins (one on each side seam one in the centre front and one in centre back) Do the same with your skirt and mark the quarters with pins With the

EASY-PEASY $4 SINGLET DRESSWords by Annie Werner Photo by Olive Rose

right sides together match up the pins and sew with a zigzag stitch one centimetre from the edge stretching the singlet as you move along so that the pins match up6 Your singlet dress is now finished and you can embellish it as you like I add a pocket and some ricrac braid on the neck of the singlet

autumnfarmpastured

67

Fermentation Cultures

Would you would like to promote your business HERE or through our online outlets

Please contact us

E advertisingpipmagazinecomau Tel (02) 6100 4606

Web wwwpipmagazinecomauadvertise to download our media kit

68

The aim of Boomerang Bags is to minimise the use of plastic by sewing reusable bags from local recycled materials Making Boomerang Bags with your commu-nity is a great way to participate in a national initiative on a local level Itrsquos an easy free and environmentally friendly way to engage your local community and en-courage others to reduce their use of plastic bags The idea is to get a group of people together sort through some old fabrics (linen cupboards or op shops are a great place to start) and meet up with a couple of sewing machines to make some great recycled re-usable Boomerang Bags

HOW DO YOU MAKE A BOOMERANG BAGWhat you will need

bull three pieces of fabric (something durable colour-ful and washable matching or contrasting)

bull two handles (adjust the length to the size you prefer)

bull one bag shape bull one calico pocket bull an ironbull thread and sewing pinsbull a sewing machine and ideally an overlocker

Step one sew the handlesFold each of the handle pieces in half lengthways and iron them flat Open the folded piece and fold each side to the middle crease Iron closed and make sure that the edges are together evenly Sew the open edges of the handle together and then sew along the closed edge of the handle so that each side of the handle is sewn

Step two make the calico pocketFold three sides of the calico over by one centimetre Fold the fourth side over twice and then iron each of the sides flat With the right side facing down and the wrong side facing up sew across the top of the pocket (where you made two folds) Step three pin the pocket onWith the right side up pin the pocket onto the bag shape Make

HOW TO MAKE A BOOMERANG BAGWords by Boomerang Bags Photos by Robyn Rosenfeldt

P R O D U C E N O WA S T E

69Opposite page above Place pocket on front and mark 9 cm from edge for handle Opposite page below sew the corners This page clockwise from top right sew the handles folding the handles Boomerang bags pin the handles in place

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sure it is centred vertically but is slightly lower than the hori-zontal centre so that you leave space for the top of the bag to be folded over when you sew the handles on

Step four sew the calico pocketSew the three sides of the calico pocket onto the bag before you begin your bag side seams (or overlocking) being careful to reinforce each side of the pocket near the top

Step five sew the sides and base of the bagTake the bag material fold it in half with the two short edges coming together to create the bag shape Pin the material down the sides leaving the top open make sure your edges match up

Turn the bag inside out and edge sew (or overlock) along each of the two sides If overlocking make sure you reinforce each side with a straight stitch that runs next to the overlocked edge With the bag still inside out fold it so that you see the corners as triangles with the edge stitching (or overlocking) running through the middle Using a small cardboard triangle as your template (so that both corner bases are the same size sew across eight centimetres) pin the triangles into the cor-ners and then sew and reinforce each of them This will form the base of your bag

Step six sew the handles onTurn the bag the right side out mark nine centimetres from the seam each side and pin the handles on the inside of marks En-sure there is no twist in in the handles Oversew (or overlock) the top of the bag attaching the handles and making sure the handles are set square to the bag

Step seven finish the bagTurn the top of the bag down three centimetres and sew twice around the top of the bag Trim the threads and give it a once over Your bag should now be looking great

Step eight shareNow share the bags around in the community lend them to friends give them away as gifts share them with people in your street or offer them as alternatives at your local grocery shop

You can find information about joining an existing Boomerang Bag lsquocommunityrsquo or making Boomerang Bags yourself or request the lsquoHow-to guidersquo on starting a Boomerang Bag community of your own by heading to wwwboomerangbagsorgabout

70

71

What can we do to help our teens become the sus-tainable innovators and guides that the planet needs More so than ever before young people need positive opportunities to escape and explore to move from talking and watching to doing

For the past eighteen years wersquove run the Crossing Land Education Trust where we have camps for young people We create opportunities for young people to learn and become inspired for example through teamwork environmental res-toration and monitoring sustainable design tool use outdoor activities and organic gardening We believe that teens need to be given the following experiences to contribute with purpose improvise and make mistakes and explore natural places Well-designed school camps with excellent leaders are great for this but as parents and guides to teens we can create such opportunities in a variety of ways

When you think back to yourself as a teen and the peo-ple you looked up to there was probably at least one cool uncle or aunty an older brother sister or cousin a teacher or camp leader who was influential Whether by accident or design they were the ones who supported you to launch off on some early adventure Pushing the boundaries of activity and adventure was okay by your parents as long as you had that acceptable guide nearby Itrsquos good to surround teens with positive and inspiring role models they can relate to

Camping can be a great way for teens to get switched on to the environment School camps with a focus on sustainability in their design are ideal

CONTRIBUTING WITH PURPOSEThe ability to make a difference is important to all of us both physically and mentally Everyone responds and engages more fully if they have a strong sense of purpose A positive and active approach to sustainability is purpose-built for teens

Teens have an acute sense for hypocrisy and inconsistency They know the difference between busywork and real work They start to tune out as soon as they get the feeling that they are not part of something or worse still if theyrsquore part of something thatrsquos not connected to anything else

We all love connection and integration theyrsquore major ingre-

dients for making experiences richer If teens can see how what they do is part of something bigger they will be much more willing and inspired to contribute Explaining the whole picture of why wersquore going to do something and how it fits into the bigger picture will create more engaged participation

Positive actions can be hard for young people to identify by themselves The feeling of being powerless can be over-whelming Contributing to the ongoing design and thus the story of a sustainable home property camp or school is a great motivator ndash it shows how they can provide for their own needs and those of future teens

Working towards sustainability is a practical and active way to do something positive to mitigate and cope with climate change rather than be depressed or frightened by it growing food and using renewable energy are obvious examples of appropriate actions

Protecting and enhancing the surrounding natural environ-ment is an example of caring for the earth another purpose that teens can relate to and find empowering This can be done through camps and school group activities such as landcare projects or at home in developing and maintaining gardens for food or wildlife

SUPPORTING IMPROVISATION AND MISTAKESThis may sound odd but it takes many mistakes to come up with an innovation There are great opportunities for impro-visation and lsquomistake learningrsquo with young people especially where a leader is available to support the problem-solving process

Mistakes also help us to understand the importance of di-versity which provides many viewpoints and the strength of cooperation to solve big problems This also applies in nature where biodiversity provides many strategies to meet a range of conditions

The more we understand the important role that mistakes play the more we can recognise the importance of diversity so that we look at problems with tolerance and get in closer together to find solutions Solutions generated in this way will be more likely to succeed

INSPIRING TEENS TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY

Words and photos by Dean and Annette Turner

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A P P LY S E L F R E G U L AT I O N amp AC C E P T F E E D B AC K

72

Solving problems gives us all a sense of accomplishment and success Involving teens in seeking sustainable design ndash for example improvising for energy and water efficiency us-ing second-hand and repurposed materials to create a solu-tion ndash is very rewarding Or encourage teensrsquo efforts to fix improve or make things ndash suggest something they value such as clothing or transport They become part of the solution caring for others the earth and the future Hands-on building projects give teens the opportunity to learn by doing including to make mistakes At The Crossing a group of teens made a chook shed from an old bunk bed frame part of an old tank and rendered earth walls ndash it was a great learning experience

A positive and active approach to sustainability is purpose-built for teens

Look for ways to create experiences that provide young people with opportunities to make a range of mistakes in navigation ndash to get never truly lost just temporarily geograph-ically embarrassed building fencing or landscaping ndash requir-ing adjustments and new strategies cooking ndash to seek more appropriate garden ingredients

Some schools and camp managers try to manage risk to avoid mistakes Good risk management in the case of teens and the outdoors rules out big mistakes but provides potential for smaller ones as part of the process of learning by doing Really good staff teams can design mistake opportunities into projects so that engagement and team learning is maximised

EXPLORING NATURAL PLACESWe find that nature slows down time itself Being away from schedules and the internet allows time for closer personal connections and to connect with other facets of life time just to be

Make time for exploring an area Structured habitat or wild-life surveys are ways to achieve this provide a sense of pur-pose and get teens up close and personal with nature Anoth-er way is through nature art working with colour and shapes and using naturersquos patterns for inspiration This can immerse teens in naturersquos designs for sustainability

Or take time to wander through the landscape rather than just head to a destination For example have a few options for campsites on a short journey include a suitable area in the middle to divert attention into for a few hours and still achieve the same overall direction over the course of the day ndash a few enticing gullies a rolling area of hills where you can zig and zag a few times lakes and creeks to stop at and wander around Knowing the country well provides a leader or guide with the confidence to plan such opportunities to enthuse teens Being permitted to choose and explore the bush with leader support can be very empowering for young people

Over the last twenty-five years as outdoor and environmen-tal educators wersquove found that around five to fifteen per cent of teens thrive on challenging journeys while the majority thrive on wandering and immersion Wersquove also found that the worst weather usually generates the highest return rates for teens doing outdoor programs especially for first timers We thought this might be about challenge and adversity how-ever itrsquos much more about the leaders ndash the young people concerned couldnrsquot believe how much fun they had and were inspired to return to see those leaders again Over subse-quent visits the reasons for returning changed as they discov-ered for themselves what was really motivating and inspiring those leaders

We used to think we were changing the world with every program we ran but now we understand the importance of ripples they have their own life and travel in many directions some become large waves

Dean and Annette have spent the last eighteen years cre-ating a not-for-profit sustainable camp for young people called The Crossing Land Education Trust near Bermagui on the Wilderness Coast of NSW You can find them at wwwthecrossingthebegavalleyorgau or on Instagram Twitter or Facebook thecrossingland Any teen can join in the programs by direct application or with a school group The camp is a place for inspiring stories and in-spiring people It takes a maximum of one school class

73

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Page 70 The joy of contributing towards a positive future Opposite page Wandering journeyrsquos allow time for explorationClockwise from top Contributing to a bigger purpose - re-vegetating the river banks you canoe along Teen planting enthusiasm Time around the fire to be and reflect on any lsquomistake learningrsquo of the day Adventures in inspiring natural places Play-ing with patterns in nature The Crossing

74

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INGREDIENTS1 cup of caster sugar or

salt for a coarser scrub zest of 1 lemon juice of frac12 lemon 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 sprigs of rosemary

chopped finely Equipmentbowl fine grater lemon juicer 250 g jar

The perfect scrub for gardeners crafters and anyone whose hands get rough treatment and need a good scrubbing

GARDENERrsquoS HANDSCRUBWords and photo by Tabitha Emma


MAKES 1 x 250 g jar APPROXIMATE SHELF LIFE three months

METHOD1 Put sugar (or salt) into a bowl 2 Add the lemon zest and juice olive oil and rosemary3 Stir all together until combined then scoop the paste into the jar 4 Store the jar in a cool dark place

DIRECTIONS FOR USE Rub the paste into your hands well and then rinse it off with warm water

Extract from Nourish and Nurture The Healthy Natural Skincare Guide E-book by Tabitha Emma available in the Pip shop wwwpipmagazinecomaushopnour-ish-nurture-ebook $16

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Several years ago I coined the term lsquofrugal hedonismrsquo partly railing against the assumption ndash of more main-stream friends ndash that a life of gleaning gardening hitchhiking and op shopping was part of a grey and dismal martyrdom endured for the planetrsquos sake But I knew my days were rich with sensory indulgence and diverse pleasures

As time crept by many of these friends plunged into debt overwork middle-aged spread and a general sense of entrap-ment It became clear that curtailed-consumption keeps us self-reliant and free enough to be truly alive to pleasure and I realised how protective it can be against many of the lsquoills of modern lifersquo

Anyone reading Pip is likely already pretty cluey about the ecological reasons for reining in our rabid consumer habits However reshaping our priorities and habits is challenging especially in the face of a larger culture that suggests spend-ing as the starting point for all pleasure We donrsquot want to miss out on pleasure We are only human

The Art of Frugal Hedonism a Guide to Spending Less While Enjoying Everything More (Melliodora Publishing to be pub-lished in 2016) aims to help readers finesse their frugality The guide is a basket of life hacks and psychological strategies that make it not just easy but luscious to live on less than a quarter of the average Australian income ndash as I do merrily Here are my top five

HAVE A LOT OF THINGS YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR FREEDOMThere is no better incentive for being frugal than having pas-sions you want to chase Donrsquot do it because yoursquore noble do it because yoursquore greedy for a life of liberty By consuming less you have more money to spend on doing what you really want to do

HAVE AN OPEN RELATIONSHIP WITH RECIPESDevelop some cooking instincts and then base your meals on whatever happens to be in season cheap or in the cupboard right now Go totally freestyle or if you do like to use recipes learn to substitute No breadcrumbs to help bind your meat-balls grind some oats in a blender No apple cider vinegar lemon juice plus a pinch of sugar will probably be just fine

You may have a culinary miss now and again but yoursquoll also concoct many scrumptious triumphs save money on special ingredients and learn a lot along the way

BE MATERIALISTIClsquoBut what Surely anti-materialism is the cornerstone of buying lessrsquo you splutter Upping the esteem in which you hold consumables may sound an odd path to frugality but if yoursquod like to avoid the constant consumption involved in re-placing things you need to recognise their value and maintain them buy well-made things in the first place those that will last and are fixable Be dazzled that you have all this stuff with its stupefying lineage of effort and resources Be reverential then look after it

GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR INNER HUNTER-GATHERERThe hunt for wild greens is such a fine and fun skill that I wrote a book about it with Adam Grubb (The Weed Foragerrsquos Handbook A Guide to Edible and Medicinal Weeds in Australia Hyland House 2012) Make supplementing your diet in this way a habit and you might find that you begin to feed the fundamental Homo sapiens instinct to roam-and-pluck While connecting with your ancestral cave-self by harvesting free superfoods you may find that you also connect more inti-mately with your neighbourhood The pursuit of wild foods not only heightens your awareness of the seasons but has a delightful way of leading you into corners of your gar-den or suburb that you wouldnrsquot have visited otherwise

NOTICE WHEN YOU HAVE HAD ENOUGHIt can be very liberating to notice that your life has been fine so far maybe even pretty damn good with what you already have Or that if it hasnrsquot itrsquos probably not because of a deficit of wireless speakers So the question you might want to ask yourself next time yoursquore about to buy something is not lsquoWill this make my life betterrsquo but lsquoHas my life so far been bad without this in itrsquo

The prescription is simple spend less consume less work less experience more feel pleasure more And if you happen to help save the world while yoursquore at it all the better

THE ART OF FRUGAL HEDONISM

Words by Annie Raser-Rowland


78

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SIG

N

Eight years ago we bought a dilapidated 1940s Cali-fornian bungalow in Melbournersquos inner northern sub-urbs It was in a semi-derelict state had a heritage overlay and flood level restrictions and was on a long narrow block However the site was extremely spe-cial and backed onto the Merri Creek wildlife corridor

The real value for us was not in the bricks and mortar but in the proximity of the majestic gum trees running water and the deep buffer of native vegetation on either side of the creek creating a nature sanctuary in an urban environment We began thinking about our home as part of a permaculture system that would integrate the built interior and biological environments I wanted to create an urban existence for my family that allowed us to connect with nature and our local community on a daily basis

OBSERVATIONAs we designed the renovation it was important to observe the building over the seasons of a full year to spend time on the site noticing the patterns of the elements ndash sun water and wind ndash in order to harness them for use in our home

CAPTURING ENERGYAll buildings have some potential for passive function To make the weatherboard home thermally efficient we took the whole building apart piece by piece back to its structural frames We then wrapped it in insulation and put it all back together again sealing every little gap as we went The exten-sion was built on a suspended concrete slab which allowed us to introduce thermal mass We located new windows to open up the home to the winter sun while remaining shaded in summer and capturing cooling breezes We reoriented the room layout so that all living areas faced north flooding the spaces with natural light and allowing the winter sun to reach its long fingers inside

PATTERNS OF USEBy reconfiguring the layout of the existing home and extend-ing it we resolved the spatial design around patterns of use This design solution creates healthy and resourceful living so that the home functions with the lsquopath of least resistancersquo Our common utility areas are butted up against the social ar-eas so that no one feels like theyrsquore in purgatory while doing washing in the laundry When itrsquos raining we can walk bare-foot from the house under a clear roof off the deck to hang washing outside Living in the new home our daily tasks and rituals are now performed in an ergonomic logical and enjoy-able fashion The best lsquostorage vesselrsquo for the heat and energy of the sun is the human body Ideally we can wake up to the sun eat breakfast with it streaming through the window and then relax at the end of the day while watching it set

RESOURCEFULNESSDuring the construction process we sought to produce the minimum amount of waste possible by first looking at what we had around us and then making the most of existing and discarded materials Demolished materials such as cabinetry and architectural features were gathered and stored for re-use resold or collected for further recycling

We repaired or partially replaced what we could salvaged undamaged weatherboards collected the old hardwood skirt-ings and architraves and sourced additional salvaged tim-bers doors and fixtures We consistently placed value on the marginal ndash the little details and elements of a design that bring character and resourcefulness to our family home Ev-ery cupboard handle window winder and surface material is where you have the opportunity for the greatest change

TIMEThe design process requires great consideration testing and evolution over time For every week we spent in design con-

DESIGNING AN URBAN OASISWords by Megan Norgate Photos by Emma Byrnes

D E S I G N F R O M PAT T E R N S T O D E TA I L S

80

sideration the project continued to improve This also allowed for a nuanced design solution in direct response to our com-munity relationships and collaborations Clear and honest communication within the whole renovation team was so im-portant to ensure that we shared our vision and considered everyonersquos concerns This slow and evolving approach to design reprioritises the experience and connection between people over the goal of a rushed completion date

Our home has been allowed to lsquocurersquo beautifully over time retaining the potential for future adaptations When using ma-terials with natural patinas their effect is only fully realised over time and itrsquos then that our home starts to come alive I try to choose special pieces that are worth keeping as we appreciate the skill and materiality of highly crafted objects that ultimately become heirlooms

BREVITY I had to curb my enthusiasm for collecting things that take up more space Our cupboards were intentionally designed not to be deep to avoid things disappearing into the out-of-reach dark zone We created one large central space that opened up to the same amount of outdoor decking Our home has be-come a place where we can welcome our extended communi-ty a shared resource This has allowed us to host community groups and events We also welcome help-exchangers and the neighbourhood children at all hours of the day

We removed any high fences from the front yard

so that we could talk to our neighbours

Our bedrooms and utility rooms are modestly sized and shaped for their intended use Bathroom and laundries are long and thin to maximise wall space and access to light and to minimise unnecessary circulation space High loft beds in the kidsrsquo bedrooms create more floor space for them to play The hallway was made just wide enough to run a desk along its length and to create an office area without dedicating a room to that purpose The roof space has been lined and fitted with pull-down ladders to store seasonal gear We also have cupboards that run to the ceilings above normal head height

so that desks and beds can fit underneath These design out-comes maximise the use of our precious vertical space

LIVING ON THE EDGEEdges in nature typically contain the densest diversity and activity and this includes human-inhabited spaces We paid special attention to articulating the spaces on the edge from outside in from public to private from down to up These transition spaces are where people interact the most with one another and blurring these boundaries can create opportuni-ties for dynamic relationships and communication

We removed any high fences from the front yard so that we could talk to our neighbours and passers-by on the street while working in the garden We created a small door in the back-garden fence so that the younger children next door could come and go without needing to be walked along the street Our delight never ceases when our littlest and most curious neighbours pop up into our garden and kitchen

We created a pergola to reach the boundary to provide summer shade to the north-facing windows and to house a vertical recycled-hardwood screen creating some privacy and a vertical surface on which to grow grapes berries and honeysuckles We took down the tall paling fence between the backyard and the creek and replaced it with a low open-wire fence This allows us to observe the creek beds native vege-tation and wildlife Another two houses in the area have since followed suit and now our chickens forage periodically on the creek side saving us from cutting back grasses and weeds and providing them (and us) with an abundant source of food

STACKING FUNCTIONWe sought to integrate diverse design problems into one solu-tion maximising the use of available space We created play-nooks under the loft and in the fireplace alcoves these will later become study-nooks and bookshelves when the kids get older We use the laundry as an indoor drying room as well as a bulk-goods store We have located our solar hot-water tank inside in an otherwise useless space at the top of the stairs so that we can dry wet boots make yoghurt and maybe even hatch eggs in the warm cupboard

INTEGRATIONI sought out lsquoresponsiversquo materials finishes and furnishings by selecting items with a tangible context that relate to the

81

DE

SIG

N

Front page above to below Living to north fac-ing deck with recycled ironbark vertical screens View of extension from the bottom of the garden This page clockwise from top left Window seat made from left over floorboards Front gar-den from street recycled brick path and timber fence Kitchen with recycled timbers light fittings and appliances Disappearing through the kiddie trap door

82

region or that have a historical or emotional relationship to us This enabled me to explore an authentic regional and personal design vernacular Our home is lovingly filled with hand-me-downs from our family and objects that we have collected made salvaged and found over the years This means that our home doesnrsquot have a particular look but is more a collection of personally significant things gently curated into a pleasing combination of usefulness and decoration

YIELDOur home has produced outcomes far beyond aesthetic and economic results We have fresh healthy food happi-er children and meaningful friendships and connection with our community Everyone who worked on the house spoke warmly of their experience despite having to carry everything down steep muddy paths We would sometimes stop work to gently relocate wildlife that kept moving into the building site such as the little ringtail possum found asleep in the middle of a cloud of bulky insulation one morning

The peripheral yields have been through the learning re-ceived from and between everyone involved in the project the guests we have hosted in our home and the open days and

tours Irsquove run Our home design has fundamentally changed the way we all live and contribute to the community

We are thankful that we live work and go to school within walking distance We are very privileged to live here and to have access to abundant nature within the cultural amenities of the urban life We get to experience a diversity of wildlife every day wersquore visited by kookaburras blue-tongue lizards tawny frogmouths and the odd tiger snake

This home has reiterated the importance of urban wildlife corridors and shared productive space We have an oppor-tunity to redesign our suburbs in a context of neighbour-hood-scale resilience and autonomy creating homes and landscapes that contribute to this end

Megan Norgate is a permaculturalist sustainable design consultant and interior designer who runs the cross-discipline design studio Brave New Eco in Melbourne Megan is a passionate advocate for applying permacul-ture thinking to designing our built environment For more information see wwwbravenewecocomau

ECOLOGICALLY SUSTAINABLE DESIGN FE ATURES OF HOUSEPassive Solar designBuilding extension oriented along northern axis Minimal southern glazing used and northern glazing to 80 rooms Utilities on south side living areas to north Eaves and pergolas on north facing windows designed to prevent summer sun from hitting the windows

Thermal mass30 fly-ash suspended concrete slab for extension to introduce thermal mass for passive heating and cooling capacity

Renewable energy systems25 kw photovoltaic array installed providing 3x household power use

Rainwater harvesting2x 6500 L bladder rainwater storage plumbed to toilets laundry and garden Enclosed guttering to reduce blockages and maintenanceCold water reticulators on interior taps ndash diverting water to tanks Evacuated tube solar hot water Gravity fed greywater diver-sion from bathrooms to garden

Lighting and power-saving featuresPower monitoring device LED light strips in bathroom and kitchen Recycled timber custom light shelves Vintage pendant light fittings used

WindowsDouble-glazing with two layers 4 mm clear glass (toughened where required) and 12 mm argon filled gap Windows designed to be fixed securely open and to direct cooling SE breezes through building Butinol spacers for reduced heat transference Solatube day-lighting systems in darker rooms Windows designed allowing for curtain mounting and stack-backs

Insulation and sealingDouble timber frame staggered stud wall framing system to exten-sion for increased bulky insulation capacity and to reduce thermal bridges by providing a continuous thermal blanket Minimum 85 recycled content polyester thermal batts two layers to walls and ceiling Reflective foil under plasterboard behind hydronic heating panels Vapour-permeable building paper used on whole house all joins taped Underfloor insulation installed under floorboards and concrete slab base and edges Weatherboards removed and reused or replaced in original house in order to retrofit insulation to entire existing building Original Baltic pine floor removed and recycled Particleboard-flooring substrate laid beneath recycled black butt floorboards to reduce drafts and gaps Bathtub recess filled with bulky insulation Ceiling manholes insulated Original fireplaces sealed and lined with insulation Edges of window frames carefully insulated Wall vents filled in and covered House sealed and draught-proofed

Ventilation cooling and heatingThermostatically controlled vents to ceiling spaces Rain sensor fitted to high hopper window for overnight venting of hot air Building de-signed to maximise crossflow and passive stack ventilation opportu-nities Ceiling fans installed throughout Hydronic heating condensing boiler installed with individually controlled thermostats to each wall panel Floor vent installed beneath fridge to allow cool air to pass the back of the fridge

83

Reimagine Retrofit Renovate

Holistic Resourceful amp Sustainable Residential amp Workplace Designbravenewecocomau

BRAVE NEW ECO

Permaculture Design Course

Jan 21 - Feb 3 2017

join us for 2 weeks of life affirming mind blowing deep design learningalso on offer are free post course farm stays so you can learn

hands-on skills from folks living the good life

Book in at Goodlifepermaculturecomau 0418 307 294

Permaculture amp You

Southern Tasmania

Tasmania Summer GROWING THE LOCAL FOOD ECONOMYSouthern Harvest Education series

Canberra Region courses throughout 2016 Practical on-farm experienceFull course list online Bookings essential wwwsouthernharvestnetau

Join us for courses inCool climate vegetable production ~ Raising Animals Organically

Introduction to Permaculture ~ Permaculture Design Preserving the Harvest ~ Raising Chooks in the City and more

84

DESIGNING CHICKENS INTO THE VEGIE GARDENWords and images by Robyn Rosenfeldt

I N T E G R AT E R AT H E R T H A N S E G R E G AT E

Having chickens in your vegie garden can be a di-saster Most chicken owners would have experienced the heartbreaking disappointment of chickens getting into freshly planted garden beds full of next seasonrsquos seedlings and destroying the lot in a matter of hours

However managed the right way chickens can work with you in the vegie garden to eliminate pests and weeds fer-tilise turn the soil and prepare it for your next planting As Bill Mollison famously stated lsquoYou donrsquot have a slug problem you have a duck deficiencyrsquo and the same goes for chickens with pests and weeds

When designing chickens into your vegie garden think about what a chickenrsquos needs and outputs are They need shelter food water and company They provide eggs fertilis-er meat (if you are so inclined) and manure They are great at eliminating pests eating grass and other unwanted weeds clearing areas ready for planting and eating fallen fruit and spent plants

So when designing chickens into your vegie garden think about how they can do all these things for you and how you can give them what they need with minimal effort

PLACEMENTHaving the chicken house reasonably close to your house makes it easy to collect their eggs and to give them your food scraps each morning It also means you can hear when something is wrong If you have a loud exuberant rooster donrsquot place them too close to bedrooms however

CHOOK TUNNELSEncroaching grass and slugs can be a gardenerrsquos worst night-mare and trying to keep them at bay is a never ending task Surrounding your vegie garden with a chook tunnel allows the chickens to do the hard work for you while keeping your seedlings safe This way the chickens can forage around the edges of your garden creating a weed and pest free barrier to your growing beds

A chook tunnel doesnrsquot have to be high to keep them in it can be a simple wire tunnel Make sure you dig it into the ground at the edges to keep predators out

85

DE

SIG

N

MOVEABLE RUNSIf you want to move the chickens through the garden beds at the end of the growing season to clean up any unwanted bugs and weeds and to turn the soil use moveable chook runs These can be attached to the permanent run to allow chickens access to one bed at a time

Moveable runs work best when beds are similar in size and the run can be moved from one to the other When you have finished growing in a bed for the season place the run over it open the gate for the chooks to get in and they can prepare the bed for the next season Linda Woodrow in her book The Permaculture Home Garden (VikingPenguin 1996) suggests round chook domes over round beds

INPUTS AND OUTPUTSKeeping in mind the inputs and outputs make life easy for yourself by having

the hose outlet near the chook house for water or better still collect water from the chook house roof into a small tank or barrel

the household compost bin near the chook house so that you can add soiled straw bedding when you add your food scraps to help balance the carbon to nitrogen ratio

somewhere undercover nearby to store grains

USEFUL PLANTSPlace medicinal plants around the outside of the run to allow chickens to self-medicate when needed for example plants

such as wormwood and mugwort are said to help with lice and ticks Make sure chickens have shade too If you have fruit trees within their run make sure the roots are protected as prolonged exposure of the roots to chooks will be detrimental to tree health Plant deciduous climbers to grow over the run to provide shade in summer and let in the light in winter

FREE RANGINGDepending on the amount of room you have it is also good to give chickens space to free range If they are in the same run for a long period there will be few greens or bugs left for them to forage so itrsquos important to feed them scraps from the house and garden or to let them out into an open area to free range on grass and bugs Your run can have multiple gates allowing them access to different parts of the garden

With the right design chooks can be an essential part of the backyard vegie garden doing the hard work for you and sup-plying you with many useful products that can help your sys-tem to thrive

86

KIDSrsquo PATCH

Q What is worse than finding a grub in your apricot

A Finding half a grub

FARM GINGER PIP SEED CHOOK

FLOWER HARVESTPLANT STRAW EGG

GARDEN MULCH RAIN WATERBOOMERANG

WORD FIND

Thank you to all the parents that sent in photos of their kids in the garden and with home grown produce Each month we publish the best photo in our enewsletter and we choose the best to appear here and win a prize

To enter send photos with name and age of child and address to maudepipmagazinecomau The winner will receive the book Rockhopping by Trace Balla and an original drawing by the author

WINNER ANNIE WALTER AGE 4 WOLLONGONG NSW

87

SEEDBALLS MUDDY HANDS HAPPY HEARTS LUSH GARDENWords and photos by Morag Gamble

Seedballing is a simple and fun thing to do and an easy way to seed a garden Seeds are mixed with clay and compost and then rolled up into little balls The seedballs (sometimes called lsquoseed bombsrsquo) are then dried and tossed out into the garden They wait there until the rain comes when they will sprout and grow This is a bit like how things work in nature ndash seeds fall rest on the ground and sprout when the conditions are right Plants donrsquot dig their seeds in

Experiment with different seed mixes ndash flowers herbs salad greens beans bee attractors wildflowers hellip the choice is up to you

2 Make the seedball mix 5 parts clay soil1 part compost1 part seedsAdd a little water to make the right consistency to roll balls (Note if using purchased clay which is 100 clay add equal quantity of compost clay)

3 Roll the seedballsRoll the mix into little balls and make sure the seeds are protected inside not showing

4 TroubleshootingIf the mix is too sticky to make balls itrsquos too wet ndash add more clay If the mix is too crumbly to make balls itrsquos too dry ndash add more water

5 Dry the seedballsAllow the balls to dry for about a day in the sun until theyrsquore hard

6 Fling the seedballsFind a fun way to spread your seedballs out in the garden ndash toss them throw them fling them slingshot themhellip

7 Watch them growFor more ideas see Our Permaculture Life at wwwour-permaculture-lifeblogspotcom

HOW TO MAKE SEEDBALLS

Our Permaculture Lifepermaculture bull simple Living bull nature kids

our-permaculture-lifeblogspotcom

Courses with Morag Gamble amp Evan Raymond

ethosfoundationorg 07 5494 4833









1 Find your clayDig a few holes to find some clay You know itrsquos clay if itrsquos sticky when itrsquos wet and you can roll it into a ball or a long sausage If you canrsquot find any yoursquoll need to buy some clay powder

88

BONBEACH PRIMARY SCHOOL GARDENWords and photos by Jade Kavanagh and Amy Dowling

Bonbeach Primary School is south-east of Melbourne Itrsquos a magical place where students their families and the commu-nity can connect with nature

It has taken three years for mums Jade Kavanagh and Amy Dowling and a small army of students to transform a pile of rubble and a patch of grass into a permaculture-based learn-ing-garden The garden is filled with an organic fruit orchard native plantings chicken coop worm farm mini food forest frog bog nature play areas and twenty-five vegetable beds ndash six of which are now community plots

A garden club was quickly established with eager hands wanting to help transform the garden into a place where chickens roam plants self-seed and nature provides a place for imaginations to go wild

Wildlife now finds its way in with blue-tongue lizards ducks frogs native birds and many a gecko making the gar-den their home Bug and bee hotels made by students are scattered around the garden and natural pest remedies are a fun part of decorating the garden

For more information see Growing Green Thumbs at wwwgrowinggreenthumbscomau and BPSgreenthumbs on Instagram wwwinstagramcombpsgreenthumbs or Facebook

AMY AND JADE

CATCHING SNAILS WITH VEGEMITE AND WATERPUMPKINS GROWING

FROM COMPOST

WORMS PLAY A KEY ROLE IN

OUR SCHOOL GARDEN

SEEDS GROW IN RECY

CLED EGG

CARTONS

SEED BOMB MAKING

89


OUR SCHOOL GARDEN

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PERMACULTURE EXCHANGE Canberra region Intro to Permaculture PDC Specialist courses eg Farm establishment homesteading forest gardens wwwpermacultureexchangeorgau 0400 165 403 permacultureexchangegmailcom

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BROGO PERMACULTURE GARDENS Bermagui PDC Earthworks www permaculturedesigncomau (02) 6492 7306 brogopgbigpondnetau

CAROOLA FARM Mulloon Converting to Organic Production (SCPA Organic Standards) www caroolafarmcomau (02) 4842 1899 pennycaroolafarmcomau

CHARLES STURT UNIVERSITY North Wagga Wagga Sustainable Agriculture wwwcsueduaufacultysciencesaws(02) 6933 2765 gashcsueduau

COFFS REGIONAL COMMUNITY GARDENS Coffs Harbour Meal Planning to Reduce Food Waste Insect Reservoirs Plant Propagation wwwcoffscommunitygardensorgau contactcoffscommuitygardensorgau

ELEMENTAL PERMACULTURE Warrawong PDC wwwelementalpermaculturewordpresscomabout 0424 241 881 elementalpermaculture2012gmailcom

GARDEN TO TABLE PERMACULTURE Charlotte Bay 3 hrs north of Sydney PDC Organic Gardening amp Permaculture Courses Seasonal Harvest Lunches Edible Garden Tours 0413 769 530 wwwgardentotablecomau megangardentotablecomau

HEALTHY HARVEST KITCHEN GARDENS Springwood Organic Gardening www healthyharvestcomau 0431 383 516 danielhealthyharvestcomau

HUMBLE DESIGNS PERMACULTURE Sydney West amp Blue Mountains PDC sitesgooglecomsitehumbledesignspermaculture (02) 4575 3235 wheelsdnahotmailcom

JAMBEROO VALLEY FARM Jamberoo Intro to Permaculture Social Permaculture PDC Soil wwwjamberoovalleyfarmcomau (02) 4236 1505 tassjamberoovalleyfarmcomau

Kimbriki ndash Eco House amp Garden Kimbriki Composting Worm Farming Beginners amp Advanced Organic Gardening No-Dig Gardening Introduction to Permaculture (Short amp Full Workshops)wwwkimbrikicom (02) 9486 3512kimbrikikimbrikicom

LAGUNA EARTH HOUSE Laguna EarthStraw Building Preserving Bread Making wwwfacebookcomlagunaearthhouse (02) 4998 8072 lagunaearthhousegmailcom

MILKWOOD PERMACULTURE Sydney PDC Intro to Permaculture Organic Gardening Organic Market Gardening Natural Beekeeping Aquaponics Mushroom Cultivation Fermentation wwwmilkwoodnet (02) 5300 4473 infomilkwoodnet

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NATURE CONSERVATION COUNCIL OF NEW SOUTH WALES AUSTRALIA Sydney Seed Saving amp Seasonal Planting wwwnatureorgau (02) 9516 1488 nccnatureorgau

NORTH SYDNEY COUNCIL Sydney Sustainable Investing Sugarbag Beekeeping Preserving Edible Gardens wwwnorthsydneynswgovauWaste_EnvironmentGet_Involved_Green_EventsGreen_Events (02) 9936 8100 gabriellelewisnorthsydneynswgovau

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PERMACULTURE SYDNEY INSTITUTE Sydney Intro to Permaculture PDC Cider amp Wine Making Biodynamics Fruit Tree Pruning Earthworks amp Water wwwpermaculturesydneyinstituteorg (02) 4568 2036 infopermaculturesydneyinstituteorg

PERMACULTURE SYDNEY NORTH Lindfield Monthly meeting talks working bee for members coursesworkshopseducation Intro to Permaculture permaculture garden tours mushroom foraging specialist workshops wwwpermaculturenorthorgau (02) 9858 3074 educationpermaculturenorthorgau

PERMACULTURE SYDNEY SOUTH Sydney South Vertical Gardens Biochar wwwpermaculturesydneysouthorgau kerrykantadwyergmailcom

PERMACULTURE SYDNEY WEST (TOONGABBIE) Sydney West Developing Sustainable Balcony Gardens wwwpermaculturesydneywestcomau presidentpermaculturesydneywestcomau

PIP MAGAZINE HQ Pambula PDC Natural Beekeeping Fermenting Sourdough Breadmaking Organic Gardening wwwpipmagazinecomau 0408375991 hellopipmagazinecomau

PURPLE PEAR FARM Anambah PDC Intro to Permaculture Mandala Gardens Preserving Sourdough Cheese amp Yoghurt Compost Making Biodynamics Propogation Worm Farms Grafting wwwpurplepearfarmcomau (02) 4932 0443

ROSNAY ORGANIC VINEYARD AND ORCHARD Canowindra Intro to Permaculture 1300 767 629 wwwrosnaycomau inforosnaycomau

SAGE PROJECT Moruya Market Gardening Seed Saving Medicinal Gardens Beekeeping amp Hive Building Backyard Gardening Fermenting Drawing wwwsageprojectorgau 0439 032 038 educationsageprojectorgau

SUSTAINABILITY SYSTEMS amp SERVICES Sydney Workplaces Water and Energy Efficiency Ethical Investment House Design amp Construction wwwsustainabilitysystemscomau 0414 385 644 cameronsustainabilitysystemscomau

SYDNEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE Sydney Permaculture An Introduction Beekeeping for Beginners wwwsydneycommunitycollegecomau (02) 8752 7555 customerservicesccnsweduau

SYDNEY ORGANIC GARDENS Jannali Organic Gardening wwwsydneyorganicgardenscomau 0416 229 154 infosydneyorganicgardenscomau

THE QUIET GARDENER Sydney Intro to Permaculture wwwthequietgardenercomau 0412 130 221 craigdthequietgardenercomau

THE VEGGIE LADY Narellan Backyard Veges Sensory Gardens Healing Gardens Therapeutic Horticulture Organic Gardening Home Grown Vegetables amp Herbs Consultations 0411 579 778 wwwtheveggieladycom tonitheveggieladycom

TRUST NATURE Byron Bay Permaculture Soils amp Organic Fertiliser Living Soils amp Composting wwwtrustnaturecomau 0408 66 2468 infotrustnaturecomau

YABBA PERMACULTURE Sydney Energy Intro to Permaculture wwwyabbacomau 0421 378 939 mikeyabbacomau

QLDACS DISTANCE EDUCATION Nerang MDC Organic Farming wwwacseduaudefaultaspx (07) 5562 1088 adminacseduau

CITYFOOD GROWERS Samford Biodynamic Gardening ndash Introductory course to biodynamic gardening principles wwwcityfoodgrowerscomau 0401 156 532 petercityfoodgrowerscomau

CRYSTAL WATERS Conondale PDC wwwcrystalwatersorgau PDC (07) 5494 4620 contactbrucegibsongmailcom

HILL TOP FARM COOKTOWN Cooktown working with nature 4 day lsquoGetting to the Heart of Permaculture Designrsquo and 2 day lsquoGrowing healthy food with less hard yakkarsquo wwwhilltopfarmwixcombeyondsustainability (07)40695058 hilltopfarmcooktownwestnetcomau

Do you want your course featured here Send your details to hellopipmagazinecomau Name location courses web phone email

COURSE PROVIDERS DIRECTORYPERMACULTURE amp SUSTAINABILITY

90

NORTHEY STREET CITY FARM Windsor Intro to Permaculture PDC wwwnscforgau (07) 3857 8775 infonscforgau

PERMACULTURE RESEARCH INSTITUTE SUNSHINE COAST Kin Kin PDC (07) 5485 4664wwwpermaculturesunshinecoastorg infopermaculturesunshinecoastorg

PERMACULTURE TOOLS Indooroopilly Permaculture earthworks Hand tool courses wwwpermaculturetoolscomau salespermaculturetoolscomau

ROBIN CLAYFIELD AND FRIENDS Maleny Dynamic Groups Dynamic Learning Creative Community Governance amp Decision-Making Permaculture Meets Creative Design Permaculture Deep Ecology amp Earthcare Design Earth Healing and Nurturing wwwdynamicgroupscomau (07) 5494 4707 robinearthcarecomau

SAVOUR SOIL PERMACULTURE Laidley Intro to Permaculture Aquaponics The Art of Balanced Beekeeping wwwsavoursoilpermaculturecomau (07) 5465 1399 savoursoilshotmailcom

SEED INTERNATIONAL Harper Creek Hands on Permaculture Design Gardening with Kids wwwseedinternationalcomau (07) 5494 4833 infoseedinternationalcomau

SAAGARI NATURAL BUILDERS Adelaide3 week strawbale round house with recipricol roofContact Adam 0434 169 349 agarifarmorg daniagarifarmorg

FOOD FOREST Gawler PDC Organic Vegetables and Poultry Preserving Natural Building Fruit amp Nut Growing (08) 8522 6450 wwwfoodforestcomau foodforestbigpondcom

NADJArsquoS GARDEN Adelaide Intro to Permaculture Composting Pruning Organic Gardening wwwnadjasgardencomau 0410 636 857 nadjasgardengmailcom

TASGOOD LIFE PERMACULTURE South Hobart Holistic Management Decision-Making Small-Scale Beekeeping Real Skills for Growing Food Fermentation Fest Permaculture Design Course wwwgoodlifepermaculturecomau 0418 307 294 hellogoodlifepermaculturecomau

RESEED Penguin Various courses www permaculturetasorgmainlocationsreseed-centre infopermaculturetasorg

URBAN FARMING TASMANIA Launceston Permaculture Workshops 1stgaia1gmailcom wwwurbanfarmingtasmaniaorg

VICAGARI NATURAL BUILDERS Mornington Peninsula VIC 1 week strawbale wall raising Contact Adam 0434 169 349agarifarmorg daniagarifarmorg

BALLARAT PERMACULTURE GUILD Ballarat PDC Intro to Permaculture Practical skills (keeping chickens grafting pruning wicking beds starting a vegie garden greenhouse skills seedsaving tool sharpening cheesemaking preserving fermented foods edible weeds medicinal herbs) wwwballaratpermacultureguildorg 0488 077 628 infoballaratpermacultureguildorg

BULLEEN ART amp GARDEN Bulleen Ornamental Edible Garden Design Preserving Sowing amp Saving Seeds Vegie Gardening for Absolute Beginners Balcony amp Small Space Gardening Successful Composting amp Worm Farming wwwbaagcomau (03) 8850 3030 meiyinbaagcomau

CASTLEMAINE COMMUNITY HOUSE Castlemaine PDC Cert III in APT wwwcchorgau (03) 5472 4842 educationcchorgau receptioncchorgau

CENTRE FOR ADULT EDUCATION Melbourne A Year in the Garden Vegetables amp Herbs Backyard Beekeeping How to Build a Traditional Wood-fired Oven wwwcaeeduauPagesdefaultaspx (03) 9652 0611 enquiriescaeeduau

CERES INC Melbourne PDC Gardening Cooking Cheesemaking Craft wwwceresorgau (03) 9389 0100 ceresceresorgau

CHESTNUT FARM Ballarat Forest Garden Design Intensive PDC Intro to Permaculture Grafting internship Permaculture Principles Master Class Powering up Your Community Group Practical Skills Individual grafting tuition available wwwchestnutfarmnetau 0409 551 539 (03) 5331 3110 stevechestnutfarmnetau

CULTIVATING COMMUNITY Richmond Food Waste Avoidance amp Recycling (composting worm farms amp bokashi) wwwcultivatingcommunityorgau (03) 9429 3084 infocultivatingcommunityorgau

DELICIOUSLY INSPIRING GARDENS (DIG) Geelong Organic Gardening amp Farming Livestock Chickens Soil wwwfacebookcompagesDeliciously-Inspiring-Gardens 0423 150 448

ELTHAM WORMS Melbourne Composting amp Worm Farming wwwelthamwormscomau (04) 1931 0003 elthamwormsyahoocom

EMPOWER Melbourne Creating amp Maintaining Small Space Gardens wwwfacebookcomevents1431512460484444 0401 822 915 shekempowerprojectsorg

HOLMGREN DESIGN Hepburn PDC at Yoga Ashram Permaculture Forestry Advanced Design Principles holmgrencomau (03) 5348 3636 infoholmgrencomau

KINGLAKE RANGES PERMACULTURE Kinglake Seed Saving Propagation Managing a Garden preparingstoringtradingmarketing the harvest Mushrooms Bees Livestock 0430 637 748 foggyforgegmailcom taylordarylyahoocomau

LANEWAY LEARNING MELBOURNE Melbourne Gardening amp Sustainability wwwmelbournelanewaylearningcom melbournelanewaylearningcom

NORTHERN MELBOURNE INSTITUTE OF TAFE Epping Information on Organic Agriculture infohubifoambioennode (03) 9269 1042 marlid-aasnmitviceduau

PERMACULTURE SOUTH WEST VICTORIA Warrnambool Permaculture Home Skills Appropriate Technology Fruit Tree Pruning amp Grafting Workshops wwwfacebookcomgroups613129832112923 andrewwallabygardencomau

REGRARIANS Bendigo East Regenerative Agriculture wwwregrariansorg 0431 444 836 or 0400 840 845 regrariansgmailcom

RMIT UNIVERSITY Melbourne Permaculture amp Sustainable Living wwwrmiteduau 0419 779 886 rickcolemanrmiteduau

TELOPEA MTN PERMACULTURE AND NURSERY Monbulk Advanced Permaculture Skills Preserving Cheese Making Cider Making wwwpetethepermiecom 0418 665 880 telopeamtnbigpondcom THE PERMA PIXIE Dandenong Ranges PDC Herbalism Rewilding amp Soil wwwthepermapixiecom 0450 375 528 thepermapixiegmailcom

THE WALLABYrsquoS ROCK GARDEN Garvoc Garden Design Natural Building Appropriate Technology wwwwallabygardencomau andrewwallabygardencomau

TREAD LIGHTLY PERMACULTURE Dunnstown PDC CERT III Intro to Permaculture Glass House Design Compost Loo Construction amp Design Compost Mulch Plant Propogation amp Seed Saving Beekeeping wwwtreadlightlypermaculturecomau 0400 261 233 infotreadlightlypermaculturecomau

VERY EDIBLE GARDENS Brunswick PDC Biointensive Gardening Edible Weeds Rocket Stoves wwwveryediblegardenscom (03) 9005 6070 vegveryediblegardenscom

WAAHAM VRITTI HERBAL Perth PDC Organic Gardening Creative Facilitation wwwahamvrittiherbalcomau 0406 449 369 infoahamvrittiherbalcomau

CANDLELIGHT FARM Perth PDC APT wwwcfpermaculturecomau (08) 92951933 rossmarswaterinstallationscom

FAIR HARVEST Margaret River Beekeeping Cheesemaking Introduction to permaculture PDC wwwfairharvestcomau (08) 9758 8582 infofairharvestcomau

MERRI BEE ORGANIC FARMACY Nannup Nourishing Soilhellip regenerating topsoil for a safe climate wwwfacebookcommerribeenannup 0478 602 545 beewinfieldwestnetcomau

PERMASEED Bunbury Intro to Permaculture PDC Aquaponics Wicking Beds wwwfacebookcompeppalucisediblelandscapes 0427 456 699 georginawardenbigpondcomau

TERRA PERMA DESIGN Perth PDC Soil Edible Weeds Food Forests Watering amp Irrigation Chooks Nutrient Cycling wwwterrapermacomau 0466 633 275 infoterrapermacomau

ONLINEGEOFF LAWTON PDC wwwgeofflawtoncom (02) 6688 6578

PERMACULTURE VISIONS PDCwwwpermaculturevisionscom (02) 4228 5774 sampsmsozemailcomau infopermaculturevisionscom

SPIRAL GARDEN Hobart Seedlings Permaculture for Families e-course spiralgardencomau 0401 438 668 hellospiralgardencomau

ACTBEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION OF THE ACT ndash CIT SCHOOL OF HORTICULTURE Bruce Backyard Beekeeping wwwactbeekeepersasnau (02) 6282 8112 enquiriesactbeekeepersasnauNSWBEEKEEPING NATURALLY Bermagui Natural Beekeeping wwwbeekeepingnaturallycomau adrianbeekeepingnaturallycomau

BEEKEEPING

ii

Support permaculturersquos community development

by donating to Permafund permacultureaustraliaorgaupermafund

Acquire know-how through

Accredited Permaculture Trainingtradepermacultureaustraliaorgauapt

Learn and inspire

through our website and social network permacultureaustraliaorgau

Join us at hellip

Permaculture Australia

Photo

Emi

ly Gr

a y mdash

big fl

ower

s big

idea

s copy

Russ

Gray

son p

acific

-edge

info Permaculture Australia

membership brings youhellip B a subscription to Pip magazine

B website promotion for your permaculture business or organisation and for your courses workshops and events

B public representation for permaculture

B an opportunity to share your knowledge and know-how

MILKWOOD PERMACULTURE Sydney Natural Beekeeping wwwmilkwoodnet (02) 5300 4473 infomilkwoodnet

NATURAL BEEKEEPING AUSTRALIA Sydney amp Mudgee Natural Beekeeping (in conjunction with Milkwood Farm) wwwnaturalbeekeepingcomau timmalfroysgoldcomau

SAGE PROJECT Moruya Beekeeping amp Hive Building wwwsageprojectorgau 0439 032 038 educationsageproejctorgau

SYDNEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE Sydney Beekeeping for Beginners (02) 8752 7555wwwsydneycommunitycollegecomau customerservicesccnsweduau

THE URBAN BEEKEEPING Sydney Beekeeping wwwtheurbanbeehivecomau 0411 191 232 beestheurbanbeehivecomau

QLDSAVOUR SOIL PERMACULTURE Laidley The Art of Balanced Beekeeping wwwsavoursoilpermaculturecomau (07) 5465 1399 savoursoilshotmailcom

SUGARBAG Brisbane Sugarbag Beekeeping Stingless Bees wwwsugarbagnet 04 3441 6053 timsugarbagnet

TASGOOD LIFE PERMACULTURE South Hobart Small-scale Beekeeping wwwgoodlifepermaculturecomau 0418 307 294 hellogoodlifepermaculturecomau

VICVICHONEY Upper Beaconsfield Beekeeping httporganichoneymelbourne annavichoneycomau

THE PRACTICAL BEEKEEPER Thornbury History of Beekeeping Getting Started with a New Hive Extracting Honey 0418 863 884 wwwthepracticalbeekeepercomau benedictthepracticalbeekeepercomau

J BEEKEEPING SCHOOL Diggers Rest Beekeeping wwwjbeekeepingorgau secretaryjbeekeepingorgau

AMAZING BEES The Basin One-on-one Coaching wwwamazingbeescomau 0414 558 400 dietmaramazingbeescomau

BECrsquoS BEE HIVE Kallista amp Flemington Various Beekeeping Workshops Mentoring Supplies amp Field Days wwwbecsbeehivecomau 0409 850 735 becbecsbeehivecomau

BESWICK BEES Ringwood East Beekeeping beswickbeescomau (04) 3305 3358 infobeswickbeescomau

CENTRE FOR ADULT EDUCATION Melbourne A Year in the Garden Backyard Beekeeping wwwcaeeduauPagesdefaultaspx (03) 9652 0611 enquiriescaeeduau

KINGLAKE RANGES PERMACULTURE Kinglake Bees 0430 637 748 foggyforgegmailcom taylordarylyahoocomau

MELBOURNE CITY ROOFTOP HONEYBeekeeping hosting courses mentoring amp tourswwwrooftophoneycomau THE PERM-APICULTURE BEEKEEPING GROUP Melbourne Natural Beekeeping wwwnaturalbeekeepingorgau pcmapisiggmailcom

TREAD LIGHTLY PERMACULTURE Dunnstown Beekeeping 0400 261 233 wwwtreadlightlypermaculturecomau infotreadlightlypermaculturecomau

WAFAIR HARVEST Margaret River Beekeeping wwwfairharvestcomau (08) 9758 8582 infofairharvestcomau

PHARMCO PTY LTD Perth Intro to Beekeeping 0412 136 945 rob_mckrillyahoocomau

NSW AREC Bombira Sustainable Building areccomau (02) 6372 3899 infoareccomau

EARTH BUILDING SOLUTIONS St Georges Basin Building with Mudbricks Making Mudbricks Wood-fired Earth PizzaBread Ovens wwwearthbuildingsolutionscomau 0408 425 855 mailearthbuildingsolutionscomau

LAGUNA EARTH HOUSE Laguna EarthStraw Building wwwfacebookcomlagunaearthhouse (02) 4998 8072 lagunaearthhousegmailcom

STRAWTEC Jervis Bay Strawbale Construction wwwstrawteccomau 0408 415 806 strawbalesbigpondcom

SAAGARI NATURAL BUILDERS Adelaide3 week strawbale round house with recipricol roofwwwagarifarmorg 0434 169 349 daniagarifarmorg

FOOD FOREST Gawler PDC Organic Vegetables and Poultry Preserving Natural Building Fruit amp Nut Growing (08) 8522 6450wwwfoodforestcomau foodforestbigpondcom

VICAGARI NATURAL BUILDERS Mornington peninsula 1 week strawbale wall raising wwwagarifarmorg 0434 169 349 daniagarifarmorg

THE Strawbale HOUSES Axedale How to Build a Strawbale House wwwstraw-bale-housescom 0428 246 868 briananvillcomau

THE WALLABYrsquoS ROCK GARDEN Garvoc Natural Building Appropriate Technology wwwwallabygardencomau andrewwallabygardencomau

AUSTRALIA WIDEMUDMOB Natural Building Cob Building for Animal Shelters wwwmudmobnet mudmobgmailcom

NATURAL BUILDING

92

COURSE PROVIDERS

A variety of workshops are held around Melbourne throughout the year Check wwwbecsbeehivecomau for updates and further information Beekeeping gear is available to order online and delivered Nationally

bull Beginner Workshops

bull Field Days

bull Mentoring Programs

bull Beekeeping Supplies

bull Bee related products

bull Bee friendly advice

bull Hive fresh Honey

bull And morehellip

Beekeeping

13

13

13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13

13 13

13

wwwpermacu l tu rede s ign comau 13 13 13 ( 02) 13 64927306 13

P e r m a c u l t u r e D e s i g n C o u r s e Bermagui NSW

lead teacher John Champagne April 14th to 26th 2017- Book Now

13-Day residential course with engaging team teaching two full days of site visits and practical hands on activities to support the theoretical content for more info call 02 6684 3374

wwwbyroncollegeorgau

Get qualified to do what you love

Accredited Permaculture Training bull Certificate III in Permaculture (30868QLD)

bull Certificate IV in Permaculture (30869QLD) - Austudy approved - NSW Government funded places available - Limited places - call to see if you are eligible

fairharvestcomau | infofairharvestcomau | Ph 08 9758 8582

PERMACULTURE DESIGN CERTIFICATE NOV 2016 amp APRIL 2017 SA Join David Holmgren (co-originator of Permaculture) Annemarie and Graham Brookman and guest presenters at The Food Forest Gawler SA for this intensive life-changing internationally recognised course

ndash Gain practical skills in assessing land ndash Design sustainable homes gardens farms businesses and communities ndash Reduce your environmental footprint ndash Visit brilliant examples of sustainably designed properties and businesses ndash Form professional networks with course participants and tutors ndash Undertake a major design project to test and sharpen your design skills

Ph 08 8522 6450 | foodforestbigpondcom | foodforestcomau

Fair Harvest Permaculture in Margaret River offers a two week live-in Permaculture Design Certificate with some of WArsquos foremost permaculture trainers

We also offer a range of short courses including - Beginners Beekeeping 3 Sept - Feta Cheese Making 4 Sept - Intro to Permaculture 17 amp 18 Sept - Social Permaculture with Robin Clayfield 16 October - Permaculture Design Certificate 8 ndash 22 January

We specialise in promoting local knowledge and experience For more information on other courses and events go to our website

93

COURSE PROVIDERS

Earth homes sit beautifully within permaculture gardens and philosophy We can help you achieve your dream of building a safe healthy comfortable desirable and affordable home in any climate using a range of earth building techniques and integrating other appropriate renewable and sustainable technologies

Our services include building training and consultancy in earth building technologies Peter has 33 years experience to share

Practical hands-on workshops to give you skills and confidence

Ph Peter 0408425855 | mailearthbuildingsolutionscomau earthbuildingsolutionscomau

Sydneyrsquos premier 5-star permaculture centre providing a full range of permaculture rural skills and sustainable living courses and services ndash Sydney and St AlbansPSIrsquos highly acclaimed permaculture courses include ndash Introduction to Permaculture ndash Introduction to Permaculture Design ndash Internationally-certified Permaculture Design Certificate Course (PDC) ndash Complete range of sustainable living and rural skills workshopsProvided for TAFE local Government and local community organisations By highly qualified long-term experienced practising permaculture Practitioners on the land in business and their communitypermaculturesydneyinstituteorg Ph Penny Pyett 02 4568 2036 | infopermaculturesydneyinstituteorg

Teacher Training Creative Facilitation amp Group Leadership Course

lsquoDYNAMIC GROUPS DYNAMIC LEARNINGrsquo WITH ROBIN CLAYFIELD21 ndash 26 August 2016 at Crystal Waters Permaculture Eco-Village

Celebrating over 23 years of Training Permaculture Teachers Globally Fully catered 6 day residential Last one in Australia this year

Many leading Permaculture Teachers have trained with Robin and incorporate lsquoDynamic Groupsrsquo skills into their courses

robinearthcarecomau | wwwdynamicgroupscomau

E D U C AT E D E S I G N C O N S U LT

lsquoAspects of Permaculturersquo workshop series

wwwsavoursoilpermaculturecomau

bull A copy of Polyfaces ndash a world of many choices DVD A Film by Regrariansreg wwwpolyfacescom

bull The book Home Cheese Making in Australia by Valerie Pearson Green Living Australia wwwgreenlivingaustraliacomau

bull $100 gift voucher from Thunderpants certified organic cotton womenrsquos menrsquos and kidrsquos clothing made in New Zealand wwwthunderpantsconz

bull A bag of soapnuts from Sindhiya SoapNuts Australia Natural Organic Chemical Free Washing the only 100 natural cleaner that grow on trees wwwsoapnutsnetau

bull An Opinel Garden Knife from the Pip shop wwwpipmagazinecomaushop

SUBSCRIBE YOURSELF OR A FRIEND AND GO INTO THE DRAW TO WIN THESE

GREAT PRIZES

95

THE PIP SHOPwwwpipmagazinecomaushop

HoneyBee WrapsKitchen collection pack $45Kitchen starter pack $35

Formidable Vegetable Sound System Grow Do It $25

Opinel Mushroom Knife $27 Pip Greeting

Card Set $995Aussie

Ho Mi $30

Whole Larder Love Rohan Anderson$2999

Down to Earth Rhonda Hetzel $45

The Permaculture Home Garden Linda Woodrow $3995

Goodlife Permaculture Educational Tea Towels $20

Permaculture Principles amp Pathways David Holmgren$38

Earth Userrsquos Guide to PermacultureRosemary Morrow $38

96

GROWN amp GATHERED TRADITIONAL LIV ING MADE MODERNby Matt and Lentil Purbrick (Pan Macmillan 2016) Review by Robyn Rosenfeldt

This book is a visual feast of grow-ing gathering nurturing trading and eating Lentil and Matt Purbrick take you on a journey through the sea-sons sharing their experience of returning to nature and the lessons they have learned

The lsquoGrowrsquo chapter shows you how to grow vegetables and fruit in whatever space you have using the most earth-friendly practices lsquoGath-

errsquo explains how to forage for things like mushrooms native greens and wild fruits lsquoNurturersquo provides guidance on raising your own animals from chickens and bees to cows lsquoEatrsquo fea-tures over 100 delicious nourishing and creative wholefood recipes giving you the skills to eat a natural wholefood diet it covers everything from how to prepare and sprout grains in a traditional way to making and maintaining a sourdough cul-ture and techniques and recipes for preserving and pickling

The pages are illustrated with stunning photography ndash you can almost taste the food and smell the earth This book will be the next kitchen-garden bible

THE NEW WILD WHY INVASIVE SPECIES WILL BE NATURE rsquoS SALVATIONby Fred Pearce (Beacon Press 2015) Review by Ian Lillington

Fred Pearce has been writing for New Scientist magazine since 1992 and uses his skills as an investigative journalist to lsquocut through the craprsquo around invasive species He says what many permaculturists have known for years that nature does not go backwards and that the obsession with lsquoindigenous onlyrsquo is an expen-sive exercise in creating museums of plants and animals that reflect how

some people think an area might have been before an arbi-trary date (eg 1778 in Australia or 1491 in North America)

Pearce has observed over twenty-five years that nature is far stronger than we give her credit for Much of the best res-toration on the worst damaged land is by introduced plants Pearce gives examples from dozens of countries where those introduced plants support indigenous species as well as or better than the originals

The book could be seen as an apology for big business de-stroying the environment It is at least a respected science writer showing another side to the story Although disputed by some ecologists Pearce says that modern ecology shows that there is no one single ideal lsquoclimax vegetationrsquo Instead there are multiple options for complex ecological climax and nature is always changing Itrsquos time to get out of the way and let nature take itsher course hellip

GROW DO ITby Formidable Vegetable Sound System (2016) Review by Robyn Rosenfeldt

The latest CD by Charlie Mgee and the Formidable Vegetable Sound System is for kids of all ages Itrsquos beautifully presented in a hardcover booklet in-cluding recipes activities and tips for reducing plastic along with the lyrics for all the songs

Although Charlie Mgee claims the basis of his music might be a bit nerdy ndash songs about permaculture (in the previous album Permaculture a Rhymerrsquos Manual 2014) and now songs about making kimchi and not using plastic ndash the music is funky rockinrsquo and makes you want to groove

All the musicians who play on this CD are highly acclaimed in their own right and when they come together they create a tight highly finished sound that will definitely get you bopping

This is an album that the whole family can enjoy and it com-municates some important messages that yoursquoll find yourself singing about for days to come

THE NEW CREATE AN OASIS WITH GREYWATER INTEGRATED DESIGN FOR WATER CONSERVATION by Art Ludwig (Oasis Design 2015) revised and expanded sixth edition Review by Robyn Rosenfeldt

This book describes how to choose build and use a simple greywater sys-tem ndash it shows that some can be com-pleted in an afternoon for under $50 Going deeper it explains how to inte-grate efficient fixtures user habits plant selection and location rainwater grey-water and freshwater irrigation for your soil and site conditions There are pages

of in-depth instructions and diagrams about how to design and create a household greywater system to suit your context This sixth edition features a dozen extra pages complete in-formation on the laundry to landscape system extensive revi-sions to every page and many new photos and figures

CD amp BOOK REVIEWS

STUDY PERMACULTURE AT CQUNIVERSITY

AVAILABLE IN 2017CQUniversity Australiarsquos new Graduate Certifi cate in Permaculture Design is available to study from Term 1 2017 ndash the fi rst of its kind in Australia

Benefi t from the fl exibility to study by distance education with residential schools hosted by industry partners offering practical learning experiences

For more information visit wwwcqueduaupermaculture or call 13 27 86

CRICOS Provider Code 00219C | RTO Code 40939 | J_AD_160287

J_AD_160287_Permacultureindd 1 5072016 203 pm

Beekeeping Naturally

1



Beekeeping Courses



Naturalorganic

2










8 PIP PICKS

10 NOTICEBOARD





86 KIDS PAGES



CONTENTS

16

20

38

3














52

54

70

74 78

4









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Happy reading

Robyn

EDITORIAL


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P E R MACU LT U R E

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Robyn Rosenfeldt


17

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19

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Jess Ahlem

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omes

Viva Living Hom

es


21

FE

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BUILDING MATERIALS












22

Jess Ahlem


Hem


obia






23

FE

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24

COST

EMBODIED ENERGY

THERMAL PROPERTIES

























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BM

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BR

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ST

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WB

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AR

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HE

MP

CR

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ER

AM

ME

D E

AR

TH



Subscriptions

Back issues





26














27

FE

ATU

RE

Fran

ces

How

eD

an P

alm

er

Nat

ure

Loo

28




















29

FE

ATU

RE








Above Biogas digester 7 clockwise from top Solar oven and dryer at Bethel Business and Community Development Centre Lesotho Nature Loo ClassicndashPalisade OptionndashOutloo Joel Meadows with his rocket water heater

copy20

16 Is

aac

Mar

quez

and

Hom

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wer

mag

azin

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LIVING TINY


32







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Robyn Rosenfeldt

Kirsten Bradley

Kirsten Bradley










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P R O F I L E










44








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45

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Beck Lowe


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ILD










48










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ILD













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ILD












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ILD



P R O F I L E


















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55

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56










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58








Lau

rie B

enso

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59







Rohan Anderson

EA

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60












61

EA

T







62


63












THR

IVE


64


Lesson learned













65

THR

IVE











66










autumnfarmpastured

67



Please contact us



68











THR

IVE









70

71

















NU

RTU

RE


72











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NU

RTU

RE


74

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RTU

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79

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81

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SIG

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83



BRAVE NEW ECO


Jan 21 - Feb 3 2017





Southern Tasmania





84










85

DE

SIG

N











86

KIDSrsquo PATCH






WORD FIND




87
























88







AMY AND JADE


FROM COMPOST


OUR SCHOOL GARDEN

SEEDS GROW IN RECY

CLED EGG

CARTONS

SEED BOMB MAKING

89


OUR SCHOOL GARDEN











































90













































BEEKEEPING

ii





Learn and inspire


Join us at hellip


Photo

Emi

ly Gr

a y mdash

big fl

ower

s big

idea

s copy

Russ

Gray

son p

acific

-edge




































NATURAL BUILDING

92

COURSE PROVIDERS



bull Field Days






bull And morehellip

Beekeeping

13

13

13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13

13 13

13
















93

COURSE PROVIDERS




















GREAT PRIZES

95





Card Set $995Aussie

Ho Mi $30







96



















CD amp BOOK REVIEWS







1



Beekeeping Courses



Naturalorganic

2










8 PIP PICKS

10 NOTICEBOARD





86 KIDS PAGES



CONTENTS

16

20

38

3














52

54

70

74 78

4









5











Happy reading

Robyn

EDITORIAL


wwwpatternpiecom

6













7













8
















9





SEL JAK BLANKE TS





10













11






12


P E R MACU LT U R E

P L A N T










13


R A R E B R E E DS














14











15








16

Robyn Rosenfeldt


17

FE

ATU

RE















18





















19

FE

ATU

RE









20

Jess Ahlem

eierRam

med Earth Australia


omes

Viva Living Hom

es


21

FE

ATU


BUILDING MATERIALS












22

Jess Ahlem


Hem


obia






23

FE

ATU

RE





















24

COST

EMBODIED ENERGY

THERMAL PROPERTIES

























CO

BM

UD

BR

ICK

ST

RA

WB

ALE

LIGH

T E

AR

TH

HE

MP

CR

ET

ER

AM

ME

D E

AR

TH



Subscriptions

Back issues





26














27

FE

ATU

RE

Fran

ces

How

eD

an P

alm

er

Nat

ure

Loo

28




















29

FE

ATU

RE









copy20

16 Is

aac

Mar

quez

and

Hom

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wer

mag

azin

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31

LIVING TINY


32







33







FE

ATU

RE

34











35

36

















37

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ATU

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38




39

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OW
















40
























41

GR

OW


Robyn Rosenfeldt

Kirsten Bradley

Kirsten Bradley










43

GR

OW




P R O F I L E










44








Robyn Rosenfeldt

45

GR

OW













Beck Lowe


46

47


BU

ILD










48










49

BU

ILD













50


51



BU

ILD












52

53

BU

ILD



P R O F I L E


















54


Lent

il Pu

rbric

kGr

own

amp G

athe

red



55

EA

T











Maude Farrugia

56










Patr

ick

Jone

s

57

EA

T











Robyn Rosenfeldt

58








Lau

rie B

enso

n

59







Rohan Anderson

EA

T

60












61

EA

T







62


63












THR

IVE


64


Lesson learned













65

THR

IVE











66










autumnfarmpastured

67



Please contact us



68











THR

IVE









70

71

















NU

RTU

RE


72











73

NU

RTU

RE


74

75











NU

RTU

RE

76

77

NU

RTU

RE















78

79

DE

SIG

N











80













81

DE

SIG

N


82
















83



BRAVE NEW ECO


Jan 21 - Feb 3 2017





Southern Tasmania





84










85

DE

SIG

N











86

KIDSrsquo PATCH






WORD FIND




87
























88







AMY AND JADE


FROM COMPOST


OUR SCHOOL GARDEN

SEEDS GROW IN RECY

CLED EGG

CARTONS

SEED BOMB MAKING

89


OUR SCHOOL GARDEN











































90













































BEEKEEPING

ii





Learn and inspire


Join us at hellip


Photo

Emi

ly Gr

a y mdash

big fl

ower

s big

idea

s copy

Russ

Gray

son p

acific

-edge




































NATURAL BUILDING

92

COURSE PROVIDERS



bull Field Days






bull And morehellip

Beekeeping

13

13

13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13

13 13

13
















93

COURSE PROVIDERS




















GREAT PRIZES

95





Card Set $995Aussie

Ho Mi $30







96



















CD amp BOOK REVIEWS







2










8 PIP PICKS

10 NOTICEBOARD





86 KIDS PAGES



CONTENTS

16

20

38

3














52

54

70

74 78

4









5











Happy reading

Robyn

EDITORIAL


wwwpatternpiecom

6













7













8
















9





SEL JAK BLANKE TS





10













11






12


P E R MACU LT U R E

P L A N T










13


R A R E B R E E DS














14











15








16

Robyn Rosenfeldt


17

FE

ATU

RE















18





















19

FE

ATU

RE









20

Jess Ahlem

eierRam

med Earth Australia


omes

Viva Living Hom

es


21

FE

ATU


BUILDING MATERIALS












22

Jess Ahlem


Hem


obia






23

FE

ATU

RE





















24

COST

EMBODIED ENERGY

THERMAL PROPERTIES

























CO

BM

UD

BR

ICK

ST

RA

WB

ALE

LIGH

T E

AR

TH

HE

MP

CR

ET

ER

AM

ME

D E

AR

TH



Subscriptions

Back issues





26














27

FE

ATU

RE

Fran

ces

How

eD

an P

alm

er

Nat

ure

Loo

28




















29

FE

ATU

RE









copy20

16 Is

aac

Mar

quez

and

Hom

e Po

wer

mag

azin

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31

LIVING TINY


32







33







FE

ATU

RE

34











35

36

















37

FE

ATU

RE





38




39

GR

OW
















40
























41

GR

OW


Robyn Rosenfeldt

Kirsten Bradley

Kirsten Bradley










43

GR

OW




P R O F I L E










44








Robyn Rosenfeldt

45

GR

OW













Beck Lowe


46

47


BU

ILD










48










49

BU

ILD













50


51



BU

ILD












52

53

BU

ILD



P R O F I L E


















54


Lent

il Pu

rbric

kGr

own

amp G

athe

red



55

EA

T











Maude Farrugia

56










Patr

ick

Jone

s

57

EA

T











Robyn Rosenfeldt

58








Lau

rie B

enso

n

59







Rohan Anderson

EA

T

60












61

EA

T







62


63












THR

IVE


64


Lesson learned













65

THR

IVE











66










autumnfarmpastured

67



Please contact us



68











THR

IVE









70

71

















NU

RTU

RE


72











73

NU

RTU

RE


74

75











NU

RTU

RE

76

77

NU

RTU

RE















78

79

DE

SIG

N











80













81

DE

SIG

N


82
















83



BRAVE NEW ECO


Jan 21 - Feb 3 2017





Southern Tasmania





84










85

DE

SIG

N











86

KIDSrsquo PATCH






WORD FIND




87
























88







AMY AND JADE


FROM COMPOST


OUR SCHOOL GARDEN

SEEDS GROW IN RECY

CLED EGG

CARTONS

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45

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AMY AND JADE


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OUR SCHOOL GARDEN











































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Learn and inspire


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Photo

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ly Gr

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-edge




































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92

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Robyn Rosenfeldt


17

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Jess Ahlem

eierRam

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Viva Living Hom

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21

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22

Jess Ahlem


Hem


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23

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Fran

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Robyn Rosenfeldt

45

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Beck Lowe


46

47


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58








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This page clockwise from above left Material collec-tion Nan power Every colour of the rainbow Op shop fashion 5 above Double denim knee patches in action below Stitch in time

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THR

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BRAVE NEW ECO


Jan 21 - Feb 3 2017





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84










85

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KIDSrsquo PATCH






WORD FIND




87
























88







AMY AND JADE


FROM COMPOST


OUR SCHOOL GARDEN

SEEDS GROW IN RECY

CLED EGG

CARTONS

SEED BOMB MAKING

89


OUR SCHOOL GARDEN











































90













































BEEKEEPING

ii





Learn and inspire


Join us at hellip


Photo

Emi

ly Gr

a y mdash

big fl

ower

s big

idea

s copy

Russ

Gray

son p

acific

-edge




































NATURAL BUILDING

92

COURSE PROVIDERS



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bull And morehellip

Beekeeping

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13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13

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93

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EDITORIAL


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P L A N T










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R A R E B R E E DS














14











15








16

Robyn Rosenfeldt


17

FE

ATU

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18





















19

FE

ATU

RE









20

Jess Ahlem

eierRam

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Viva Living Hom

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21

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22

Jess Ahlem


Hem


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23

FE

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24

COST

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WB

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AR

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HE

MP

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ER

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ME

D E

AR

TH



Subscriptions

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ATU

RE

Fran

ces

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alm

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34











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Kirsten Bradley

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43

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44








Robyn Rosenfeldt

45

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OW













Beck Lowe


46

47


BU

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48










49

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50


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52

53

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56










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57

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58








Lau

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enso

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59







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60












61

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T







62


63












THR

IVE


64


Lesson learned













65

THR

IVE











66










autumnfarmpastured

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Please contact us



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0 The joy of contributing towards a positive future Opposite page Wandering journeyrsquos allow time for explorationClockwise from top Contributing to a bigger purpose - re-vegetating the river banks you canoe along Teen planting enthusiasm Time around the fire to be and reflect on any lsquomistake learningrsquo of the day Adventures in inspiring natural places Play-ing with patterns in nature The Crossing

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83



BRAVE NEW ECO


Jan 21 - Feb 3 2017





Southern Tasmania





84










85

DE

SIG

N











86

KIDSrsquo PATCH






WORD FIND




87
























88







AMY AND JADE


FROM COMPOST


OUR SCHOOL GARDEN

SEEDS GROW IN RECY

CLED EGG

CARTONS

SEED BOMB MAKING

89


OUR SCHOOL GARDEN











































90













































BEEKEEPING

ii





Learn and inspire


Join us at hellip


Photo

Emi

ly Gr

a y mdash

big fl

ower

s big

idea

s copy

Russ

Gray

son p

acific

-edge




































NATURAL BUILDING

92

COURSE PROVIDERS



bull Field Days






bull And morehellip

Beekeeping

13

13

13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13

13 13

13
















93

COURSE PROVIDERS




















GREAT PRIZES

95





Card Set $995Aussie

Ho Mi $30







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7













8
















9





SEL JAK BLANKE TS





10













11






12


P E R MACU LT U R E

P L A N T










13


R A R E B R E E DS














14











15








16

Robyn Rosenfeldt


17

FE

ATU

RE















18





















19

FE

ATU

RE









20

Jess Ahlem

eierRam

med Earth Australia


omes

Viva Living Hom

es


21

FE

ATU


BUILDING MATERIALS












22

Jess Ahlem


Hem


obia






23

FE

ATU

RE





















24

COST

EMBODIED ENERGY

THERMAL PROPERTIES

























CO

BM

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BR

ICK

ST

RA

WB

ALE

LIGH

T E

AR

TH

HE

MP

CR

ET

ER

AM

ME

D E

AR

TH



Subscriptions

Back issues





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ATU

RE

Fran

ces

How

eD

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alm

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Nat

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Loo

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ATU

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16 Is

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and

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31

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32







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36

















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40
























41

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OW


Robyn Rosenfeldt

Kirsten Bradley

Kirsten Bradley










43

GR

OW




P R O F I L E










44








Robyn Rosenfeldt

45

GR

OW













Beck Lowe


46

47


BU

ILD










48










49

BU

ILD













50


51



BU

ILD












52

53

BU

ILD



P R O F I L E


















54


Lent

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55

EA

T











Maude Farrugia

56










Patr

ick

Jone

s

57

EA

T











Robyn Rosenfeldt

58








Lau

rie B

enso

n

59







Rohan Anderson

EA

T

60












61

EA

T







62


63












THR

IVE


64


Lesson learned













65

THR

IVE











66










autumnfarmpastured

67



Please contact us



68











THR

IVE









70

71

















NU

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72











73

NU

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75











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79

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81

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83



BRAVE NEW ECO


Jan 21 - Feb 3 2017





Southern Tasmania





84










85

DE

SIG

N











86

KIDSrsquo PATCH






WORD FIND




87
























88







AMY AND JADE


FROM COMPOST


OUR SCHOOL GARDEN

SEEDS GROW IN RECY

CLED EGG

CARTONS

SEED BOMB MAKING

89


OUR SCHOOL GARDEN











































90













































BEEKEEPING

ii





Learn and inspire


Join us at hellip


Photo

Emi

ly Gr

a y mdash

big fl

ower

s big

idea

s copy

Russ

Gray

son p

acific

-edge




































NATURAL BUILDING

92

COURSE PROVIDERS



bull Field Days






bull And morehellip

Beekeeping

13

13

13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13

13 13

13
















93

COURSE PROVIDERS




















GREAT PRIZES

95





Card Set $995Aussie

Ho Mi $30







96



















CD amp BOOK REVIEWS







7













8
















9





SEL JAK BLANKE TS





10













11






12


P E R MACU LT U R E

P L A N T










13


R A R E B R E E DS














14











15








16

Robyn Rosenfeldt


17

FE

ATU

RE















18





















19

FE

ATU

RE









20

Jess Ahlem

eierRam

med Earth Australia


omes

Viva Living Hom

es


21

FE

ATU


BUILDING MATERIALS












22

Jess Ahlem


Hem


obia






23

FE

ATU

RE





















24

COST

EMBODIED ENERGY

THERMAL PROPERTIES

























CO

BM

UD

BR

ICK

ST

RA

WB

ALE

LIGH

T E

AR

TH

HE

MP

CR

ET

ER

AM

ME

D E

AR

TH



Subscriptions

Back issues





26














27

FE

ATU

RE

Fran

ces

How

eD

an P

alm

er

Nat

ure

Loo

28




















29

FE

ATU

RE









copy20

16 Is

aac

Mar

quez

and

Hom

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mag

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e









31

LIVING TINY


32







33







FE

ATU

RE

34











35

36

















37

FE

ATU

RE





38




39

GR

OW
















40
























41

GR

OW


Robyn Rosenfeldt

Kirsten Bradley

Kirsten Bradley










43

GR

OW




P R O F I L E










44








Robyn Rosenfeldt

45

GR

OW













Beck Lowe


46

47


BU

ILD










48










49

BU

ILD













50


51



BU

ILD












52

53

BU

ILD



P R O F I L E


















54


Lent

il Pu

rbric

kGr

own

amp G

athe

red



55

EA

T











Maude Farrugia

56










Patr

ick

Jone

s

57

EA

T











Robyn Rosenfeldt

58








Lau

rie B

enso

n

59







Rohan Anderson

EA

T

60












61

EA

T







62


63












THR

IVE


64


Lesson learned













65

THR

IVE











66










autumnfarmpastured

67



Please contact us



68











THR

IVE









70

71

















NU

RTU

RE


72











73

NU

RTU

RE


74

75











NU

RTU

RE

76

77

NU

RTU

RE















78

79

DE

SIG

N











80













81

DE

SIG

N


82
















83



BRAVE NEW ECO


Jan 21 - Feb 3 2017





Southern Tasmania





84










85

DE

SIG

N











86

KIDSrsquo PATCH






WORD FIND




87
























88







AMY AND JADE


FROM COMPOST


OUR SCHOOL GARDEN

SEEDS GROW IN RECY

CLED EGG

CARTONS

SEED BOMB MAKING

89


OUR SCHOOL GARDEN











































90













































BEEKEEPING

ii





Learn and inspire


Join us at hellip


Photo

Emi

ly Gr

a y mdash

big fl

ower

s big

idea

s copy

Russ

Gray

son p

acific

-edge




































NATURAL BUILDING

92

COURSE PROVIDERS



bull Field Days






bull And morehellip

Beekeeping

13

13

13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13 13

13 13

13
















93

COURSE PROVIDERS




















GREAT PRIZES

95





Card Set $995Aussie

Ho Mi $30







96



















CD amp BOOK REVIEWS







tiny house living - wild harvest - edible flowers - slow fashion natural building materials

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