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Commenced:
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01/01/1983 |
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Submitted:
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06/07/2011 |
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Last updated:
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07/10/2015 |
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Location:
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PO Box 859, Gawler, South Australia, AU |
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Phone:
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08 85226450 |
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Website:
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www.foodforest.bigpond.com |
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Climate zone:
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Mediterranean |
The Food Forest is one of the best developed and most productive permaculture demonstration farms in Australia. It shows species and systems suitable for the mediterranean climatic zone and teaches short courses about designing and managing them
The Food Forest today is the result of the vision of owners Graham & Annemarie Brookman and functions as a remarkable 15 hectare Permaculture farm and learning centre. From its buzzing biodiversity come over 150 organically grown varieties of fruit and nuts, wheat and vegetables, free range eggs, honey, carob beans, Australian native foods and timber. The
The collections of tree crop varieties represent a unique genetic resource; willingly shared with others wishing to establish sustainable plantings.
When the property was purchased in 1983, it was not much more than a bare barley paddock. Only a few towering River Red Gums remained along the Gawler River from the time the Kaurna Aboriginal people camped in their shade and gathered food from the land.
Today the place is more like a forest and endangered wildlife such as Brush Tailed Bettongs help the goose flock manage the forest floor. Together with thousands of species of insects, birds and other creatures they form the complex and bountiful ecosystem contained within a 1.5 km predator-proof fence.
The heritage-listed homestead was built within the first few years of white settlement of
You can also enjoy our loo-with-a-view, a unique composting toilet and reedbed system which transforms human by-products into reeds for mulching, rich compost for fertiliser and golden bamboo for furniture and structural work. You will see environmentally designed buildings which demonstrate passive and active solar technologies: the WWOOFers ‘Studio’ and its curved garden wall, the “Eco-Gazebo”, the drive-in coolroom, an extension to the over 160 year old homestead and a small gallery, all of which are built using strawbales.
A photovoltaic system of thin film amorphous panels provides electricity to the house and grid; the sun also provides water heating for both the house and the on-farm processing facility.
Check our website for upcoming course and open-day details
Note: The various badges displayed in people profiles are largely honesty-based self-proclamations by the individuals themselves. There are reporting functions users can use if they know of blatant misrepresentation (for both people and projects). Legitimacy, competency and reputation for all people and projects can be evidenced and/or developed through their providing regular updates on permaculture work they’re involved in, before/after photographs, etc. A spirit of objective nurturing of both people and projects through knowledge/encouragement/inspiration/resource sharing is the aim of the Worldwide Permaculture Network.
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MemberA member is a permaculturist who has never taken a PDC course. These cannot become PDC teachers. Members may be novice or highly experienced permaculturists or anywhere in between. Watch their updates for evaluation. |
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PDC TeacherPeople who claim to teach some version of PDC somewhere in the world. |
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PRI TeacherWith the exception of the ‘Member’ who has never taken a PDC, all of the above can apply to become a PRI PDC Teacher. PRI PDC Teachers are those who the PRI recognise, through a vetting board, as determined and competent to teach the full 72-hour course as developed by Permaculture founder Bill Mollison – covering all the topics of The Designers’ Manual as well as possible (i.e. not cherry picking only aspects the teacher feels most interested or competent in). Such teachers also commit to focussing on the design science, and not including subjective spiritual/metaphysical elements. The reason these items are not included in the PDC curriculum is because they are “belief” based. Permaculture Design education concerns itself with teaching good design based on strategies and techniques which are scientifically provable. PRI PDC Teachers may be given teaching and/or consultancy offerings as they become available as the network grows. |
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