In 2007 I tried to do something positive and grow my own food. I failed dismally! Rather than giving up I decided to "create a classroom and wait for the teachers to turn up". I founded a community garden called Veggie Village on the Sunshine Coast, Australia. I was bitten by the permaculture bug. www.veggievillage.org.au

After completing my PDC in 2007, I decided to create a business called Edible Landscapes. After gathering a group of experienced permaculture, horticulture and garden experts together, we developed a number of programs to empower communities to start to grow their own food.

Our services include:

• Edible Schoolyards Program. Incorporating Professional Development workshops, curriculum links, design, constructions, sponsorship programs, garden manuals, weekly visits by Garden Gurus and Veggie Doctor maintenance support.

• Veggie Doctor maintenance programs for residents, retirement villages and schools.

• Permaculture consultancy including design and construction of residential and rural gardens.

• Workshops for community groups and at individual households.

• Veggie Village Community Garden Offshoots - taking the successful model of VV Peregian Beach and replicating it throughout Australia.

• Edible Garden Parties - home garden workshops and tastings.

www.ediblelandscapes.com.au

Our intentions are to form a Social Enterprise and expand into different regions throughout Australia and possibly overseas.

If you're a permaculture designer and want to join our little plight, contact us via our website.

Here is the story of how my permaculture journey began, it's a short, tongue-in-cheek film about how Veggie Village Community Garden was started: