Gold Coast Permaculture – Healthy and Active Workshops
Community Projects, Courses/Workshops, Demonstration Sites, Education Centres, Health & Disease, Urban Projects — by Permaculture Gold Coast September 7, 2011
Our in-house teachers made a sterling start to the Gold Coast City Council-sponsored Active and Healthy Programme on Saturday 23 July, with two workshops taking place at Gold Coast Permaculture’s (GCP) 270 Ferry Rd Southport headquarters. A total of 36 participants in the workshops arrived, a number far surpassing our more modest expectations. It was a wonderful turnout by the community with the age spectrum ranging from around 23 up to approximately 80 years of age. The level of organisation was superb and we must again thank Fernando, Vanessa (who also provided cakes, tea and life support) and Sylvia for this. Thanks also to Cynthia for her labouring in the lead up to the workshops.
The demonstration garden with part of the Organic Gardening
class around the beehive in the background
The ‘one-hour’ Introduction to Organic Gardening workshop began slightly late at 10:15 and was still going at 13:15. This has been an ongoing “problem” with workshops extending well out into the afternoon on most Saturdays. The interest level from workshop participants is so high and the dedication of the teachers so intense that the organising committee were actually wondering as to whether or not we ought to re-schedule any further workshops by splitting them into morning and then afternoon so they can have more time.
Suffice to say, one cannot question the level of interest of the participants both in what the teachers have to say and in the merits of the gardening techniques that had been utilised in the construction of the existing gardens as well as recipes for different food products being highlighted. All the workshops have been very well attended — a welcome surprise to many of us.
The Fermentation Class
The cooking workshops are brilliantly taught by Vanessa and Sylvia. It really is amazing as to what one can do with so few resources and if anyone in is the market for a recipe or two for Kim-Chi, Kefir or Kombucha, different spiced oil recipes, etc., you can contact Gold Coast Permaculture (permaculture at gmail.com) and I am sure you will receive a friendly response. The taste testing by participants has brought lots of ums and ahs in appreciation.
The recent Oil, Spices and Tea workshop also had the assistance of permaculture chef Polassi who was the guest lecturer on the day. Polassi has had much experience in this area and brings a degree of cultural knowledge obtained from his Greek family forebears as well. We thank Polassi for his great contribution to the workshop programme and look forward to hopefully having his expertise and his smiling face at future workshops.
A traditional recipe for kim-chi can be found here, and for more information on kefir, look for the book Probiotic Foods for Good Health by Beatrice Trum Hunter. For other preserving methods the book Preserving Food Without Freezing or Canning is highly recommended.
Polassi doing his stuff at the Oils, Spices and Tea Workhop
This workshop was a truly interesting interactive exercise with all the participants expressing their appreciation at the end of the class. It also ran overtime but no-one was complaining.
GCP also has a Nutrition Intern in Amanda who has come on board from Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus to provide input into workshops, meals and also garden planting. Amanda provides us all with a nutritional breakdown of the recipes taught at the different cooking workshop as well as a talk on this area to participants as a part of the workshop and this only adds to the benefits of these workshops to the community. One of Amanda’s major contributions to GCP and the community, carried out as a part of her Nutrition degree at Griffith will be to examine a list of seasonal annual vegetables and also perennials with a view to establishing an optimal nutrition planting mix for a family of four. Amanda appears to be taking to this life-style “change” with some degree of enjoyment though, not without trepidation in the beginning.
Workshops are being held every Saturday morning up until November on various topics that can be viewed on the Gold Coast Permaculture Facebook page. Bookings are highly recommended and can be made via email at permaculture at gmail.com or call 55393973.
Comments (5)
well done gold coast guys,looks really great and the plants look really healthy fantasic job
keep up the great work
Comment by david spicer — September 7, 2011 @ 6:25 pm
Looks good up there…keep it up! nice and practical…
Comment by Muhammad — September 8, 2011 @ 4:13 am
Awesome work from the Goldie Crew. Hope to be up soon guys and I’ll come and see all your hard work in progress.
Comment by Nick Huggins — September 8, 2011 @ 6:36 am
Thank you everyone for making me feel welcome at the Oil, Spices and Tea workshop.
Comment by Ken — September 10, 2011 @ 4:37 pm
Thanks for the encouragement,thanks especially to Dave and Mo who are always available for advice.Our facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/pages/Permaculture-Gold-Coast/165271606871352
The other page belongs to??????
Thanks Justin.
Comment by Justin — September 11, 2011 @ 6:38 pm
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