I moved on from that farm and ended up with a small property of 30 acres on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Permaculture became the principle focus of our approach to this property and I had gained some more understanding of what permaculture was about as I went about turning an overgrown soil eroded and deteriorated block into a place of productivity. We utilised Woofers (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) to assist in the transformation of the space and started to integrate some animals into it. I found I was explaining to the volunteers what permaculture was about each day as we laboured in the gardens and pasture areas. However I started to realise that maybe I wasn’t as knowledgeable on the subject as was needed.
In 2008 it was mentioned to me that Bill Mollison was about to teach a Permaculture Design Certificate Course (PDC) in Melbourne with Geoff Lawton. Without much thought I decided to attend. This was one of the best decisions of my life because so much has changed for me since that course. The PDC curriculum is based on the book “Permaculture – A Designers Manual” By Bill Mollison , Tagari Publications 1988.
The course changed my way of thinking about and also my approach towards looking and seeing my property as an ecosystem rather than a space of different components. With this approach we set up systems where the different plants, animals, structures and components started to compliment each other. Now, over time the evolution of the property is an amazing space to watch as productivity and resilience is being expressed.
The Philosophy behind Permaculture is to work with nature rather than against it and my methodology of “Creating spaces for nature to work” is really starting to show. One of the approaches that we take in Permaculture is to observe and accept feedback and from this is how we learn.
I realised early on that I was passionate about Permaculture and in 2010 I attended a Teacher Training with Geoff Lawton and I taught my first Introduction to Permaculture two day course later that year. Within two years I started teaching the PDC. When teaching Permaculture you learn so much more and my knowledge has expanded. I have taught courses in other cultures and have done advisory and consultations overseas. I enjoy passing on the information I have learnt, I love to see the evolution of a space that has had Permaculture methodologies applied to it, and I surprise myself when I can decipher what I believe has occurred.
I teach two PDCs per year here at the Kendall Permaculture Farm for Permeco inc, a Not for Profit charity. The courses are over two weeks, usually one in March and the other in September, when the weather is pleasant. Camping on the property is recommended, this enables everyone to be involved in the morning animal system processes and also to be immersed in a community of like minded people.
If this interests you, there is more information on our permeco.org website, or you can click here to find out more about our upcoming courses.
Author: Tom Kendall
Tom is a lifelong agriculturalist and co-founder of the Permaculture Research Institute Sunshine Coast Inc. His site "Maungaraeeda" is a Permaculture Demonstration and Education Site. He is a Permaculture Educator and Consultant, and has a wealth of knowledge about how to be truly sustainable. Water management strategies, alternative fuel generation, animal systems and numerous other Permaculture Designed Solutions are his speciality.