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Purple Pear Farm

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Commenced:	01/01/2006
Submitted:	02/02/2011
Last updated:	26/09/2020
Location:	131 Anambah Road, Maitland, NSW, AU
Phone:	0249320443
Website:	www.purplepearfarm.com.au
Climate zone:	Warm Temperate

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Mandala Market Garden

Project: Purple Pear Farm

Posted by Mark Brown almost 14 years ago

This is for those who know that going around in circles will lead to productivity gains.

You may have heard this story if you read my personal page but as it is relevant, and belongs here at the farm, I will repeat it here.

I was teaching a PDC at the community garden in Dungog (home of Doug Walters) and on the introduction I was showing and talking about publications participants might like to read as further education.

I showed Linda Woodrows book "the Permaculture Home Garden" and said that it had great information but "was not serious permaculture". One student had the temerity to ask why not and I had no good answer. I went home and reread it cover to cover and decided I was to implement it.

In thinking on the why, I have decided that at the time it was "too neat" for my idea of permaculture which had been shown to be old tyres, irregular shapes, mulch and rampant weeds. You know what I mean?

The harmonious interaction of the elements in the mandala design leads to the system working to support itself through the relationships and the injection of effort from chickens and people enhance the systems ability to be productive.

I love working in the garden. The shapes and the angles seem to project some calming influence over people in the garden and this seems to affect the food as well.

The fruit trees that grow between the mandalas account for a sizeable orchard and in time, provide for shade in summer. The areas where we make compost for six months of the year become very productive beds for the other six months.

We run four domes on the mandalas and they rotate in a figure of eight across the three most southern configerations. The front mandala (north) see the chickens for 3 months then they go for a rest (in rotation) free-ranging in the nut orchard or food forrest.

When the chickens leave (every two weeks) we plant each bed with around 200 seedlings planted in niches in space and time to maxumize production and confuse the hell out of pests. So that is two hundred or more twice a week. It proves to be very productive.

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