I did my PDC with Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton in Melbourne in October 2009. Permaculture resonates with me, coming from a farming background. I grew up on a coconut plantation in the tropics with my grandparents, who also owned padi fields. Self-sufficency (rainwater tanks, food forest, food garden, animal husbandry, recycling and composting) was a way of life.

Work and study took me all over the world before ending up in Melbourne. In 2008 I started a community garden using permaculture principles in St Kilda. The initial project was privately funded. The following year, I was approached by the Body Corporate to expand the initiative, which was then fully funded by Body Corporate. The entire project comprises three raised beds, two rainwater tanks and existing fruit trees. I am also very lucky where I work. We have two green balconies where we grow tomatoes, herbs and salad greens complete with two rainwater tanks, a worm farm, a compost bin and a top bar beehive. And this is right in the middle of Melbourne CBD.

Since completing my course I have been helping friends turning their yards and balconies into food gardens. My longterm plan is to move into a permaculture-friendly community and set up my own permaculture base and the goal is to try and be as self-sufficient as possible.

A year later

Twelve months of urban food production

Backyard permaculture in Coburg North

Small scale urban food production project