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GrowUp Project
Biodiversity, Community Projects, Consumerism, Economics, Global Warming/Climate Change, Presentations/Demonstrations, Social Gatherings, Society, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Urban Projects, peak oil — by Lee Hewson June 21, 2010
The GrowUp project aims to develop a model community/communities which, as much as possible are self sufficient, low impact and carbon negative,and whose main objective will be to reforest/replant, as we believe that this is the starting point to solve the problems facing humanity. Assisting the Earth to regenerate biomass, soils, water and nutrient capacities. Following permaculture principles, we will address the problem of greenhouse gas emissions whist providing a source of fuel, food and material for shelter which will allow people to create low impact homes, and small communities and to provide for their needs locally and organically. By creating forest gardens to provide for our food supply, we will also work at increasing biodiversity, reducing carbon in the atmosphere,increasing carbon in the soil, at retaining more water in the soil and re establishing nature’s way of controlling the water cycle, at increasing the fertility of the soil and stopping soil erosion; the list of benefits that intelligently replanting achieves goes on.
The Di Pietro Compressed Air Motor – Alternative Clean Energy, Today
Energy Systems, peak oil — by Patrick Blampied
Obama if you’re reading this – here’s the answer to your call for alternative energy.
The spill in the gulf… only underscores the necessity of seeking alternative fuel sources. We’re not going to transition out of oil next year or 10 years from now but think about it… we’re not going to be able to sustain this kind of fossil fuel use. This planet can’t sustain it. – President Barack Obama, May 26, 2010
Sure, it was the brute force of having the ugly truth of our thoughtless consumption of dirty energy thrust upon us instead of it being hidden from TV cameras and newspapers in the third world, but finally we’re talking publicly about the real costs of our energy use and where it’s taking us. Since a disaster of this scale was bound to happen anyway, personally I’m thanking God it happened where it did and when it did.
Comments (27)How to Make a Home Made Bee Hive
Insects, Processing & Food Preservation, Urban Projects — by Peter Dilley
The photograph above is of my home made bee hive. This is the ultimate beginner bee hive and the one I highly recommend you consider. Its benefits are that it is horizontal and not vertical so you don’t break your back lifting heavy boxes. The legs are cut to make the top of the hive at your own waist level. Now you can tend your bees without much bending and in a very comfortable relaxed state. This hive does not use bee frames. Instead of forcing bees to make comb cells the size we humans want, bees in the hive design I run build their entire comb themselves with their own wax (store bought wax has chemicals and pesticides treatment that stores in the wax fat, so your bees get medication even if you don’t want them to, or other potential diseases). Because the bees make all their own wax you get lots of honey like with traditional hives but you also get lots of wax. This is perfect for the homestead as you can make so many useful things from wax – from furniture and wood polishes, to candles, and so on! This hive is also perfect for beginners because you don’t have to buy thousands of dollars of honey extraction equipment. I bought a bread knife from a dollar shop and use that to harvest comb.
Comments (22)The Story of Soil
Compost, Fungi, Rehabilitation, Salination, Soil Biology, Soil Composition, Soil Conservation, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Structure — by Rob Avis June 17, 2010
by Rob Avis
What is the difference between soil and dirt?
Soil is alive. Dirt is dead. A single teaspoon of soil can contain billions of microscopic bacteria, fungi, protozoa and nematodes. A handful of the same soil will contain numerous earthworms, arthropods, and other visible crawling creatures. Healthy soil is a complex community of life and actually supports the most biodiverse ecosystem on the planet.
Modern soil science is demonstrating that these billions of living organisms are continuously at work, creating soil structure, producing nutrients and building defence systems against disease. In fact, it has been shown that the health of the soil community is key to the health of our plants, our food and our bodies.
Why is it then, that much of the food from the conventional agricultural system is grown in dirt? The plants grown in this lifeless soil are dependent on fertilizer and biocide inputs, chemicals which further destroy water quality, soil health and nutritional content.
How did we get here? How do we turn this around? This is the Story of Soil….
Comments (18)Sad Truth About Sow Stalls
Animal Housing, Animal Processing, Consumerism, Livestock, Society — by Doron Francis
by Doron Francis, CERES Food Connect
Sow Stalls, legal in Australia
Recently I was chatting to a bunch of seemingly well informed people about Food Inc the movie. One of the comments made was that the film was about industrial agricultural in the USA, so wasn’t ‘relevant’ to Australians. It’s interesting to see how very little we actually know about where our food comes from, how it’s produced and how we are willing to believe that it ‘couldn’t happen here’. The truth is often obscured because it’s ugly and bad for business.
Comments (2)Confessions of a Permaculture Aid Worker, Episode 6 – David Spicer in Morocco
Aid Projects, Commercial Farm Projects, Education Centres, Podcasts — by Patrick Blampied
‘Confessions of a Permaculture Aid Worker’ is a weekly podcast show from PRI Australia aimed at documenting the experiences of people out in the field and making more information available about what’s happening in the Permaculture world.
In Episode 6 I’m speaking to David Spicer who has been working on in Morocco, teaching a course as well as consulting for a farm there.
Click play to hear the talk:
Confessions of a Permaculture Aid Worker, Episode 6 - David Spicer, Morocco
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Compost Heated Hot Water in Canberra
Compost, Energy Systems, Urban Projects — by Patrick Blampied
Leigh Blackall has set up a compost water heating system after being inspired by a series of Youtube videos including one featuring Zaytuna’s compost heated shower.
He’s documented setting up his system here:
Permaculture and Traditional Land Use in Morocco 2010
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Courses/Workshops, Education Centres, People Systems, Village Development — by Elspeth Brock June 16, 2010
Editor’s Note: Elspeth Brock makes a great post-course update on the Tribal Networks Morocco project experience.
Wheat, almonds and wild flowers
I felt in some way instantly at home in Morocco. Ait Attab in the high Atlas has a similar climate to inland south-eastern Australia, orange-purple soil, masses of erosion, the hot burning sun, and a wide blue sky. Running wild are the ancestors of many plants familiar from English cottage gardens – poppies, gladioli, margarite daisies. We were treated to wonderful hospitality, beautiful gnarled olive trees, orange flat-roofed houses, home made bread – called bat-boot for the sound it makes when being made – and donkeys braying (well maybe not all so much like home).
Comments (1)Leaving Zaytuna Farm
Courses/Workshops, Demonstration Sites, Education Centres, News, Project Positions — by Craig Gallagher June 15, 2010
Nearly 18 months have passed since I first arrived at PRI to sit my PDC. At that time I had the idea of following the PDC with wwoofing on various permaculture farms and projects, however halfway through the PDC it became obvious that Zaytuna Farm was the best place to gain some hands on experience. After disappearing for a month to sort out odds ‘n ends, I returned to settle in for an undecided period. Over this time Geoff has had me working as his farm manager and also sending me on various consultations. The farm has expand rapidly with earth works and structures erected. The experience here has been invaluable and certainly life changing and for this I give Geoff and Nadia many thanks.
I would also like to thank all the people I have met over the last 18 months (150+) especially those that put in huge efforts of voluntary work to help me keep the place running when G&N were away.
Comments (14)Letters from Jordan – Jordan Welcomes the 2011 International Permaculture Conference & Convergence
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Conferences, Courses/Workshops, News, Social Gatherings — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor June 13, 2010
To book your place at IPC10 (September, 2011), go here!
The famous Wadi Rum desert region, site of the 1962 Laurence of Arabia epic,
will be hosting the September 2011 IPC 10 Convergence
All photographs © copyright Craig Mackintosh
Every two years, members of the international permaculture community cooperate to organise an International Permaculture Conference (IPC). Each meeting is held on a different continent, and is made up of two main separate events, serving two distinct purposes. The first meetings of the event, the conference, is aimed at permaculture ‘evangelisation’, where key people of the region are invited to hear presentations about permaculture that are particularly relevant to them, and between meetings they can converse and network with the many leading permaculturists who attend. It helps spread permaculture in the respective regions. The second phase is the convergence, an entirely in-house get-together where permaculturists from around the world can network, share experiences and knowledge, and develop strategies for fast-tracking permaculture uptake worldwide. These two main events are nestled between two other components – a two-week PDC before the conference, and a tour of interesting sites after the convergence.
Participants at the convergence also discuss and vote for their choice for where the next IPC should be held. The last IPC was held in Oct/Nov 2009 in Lilongwe, Malawi, Africa, and at that event Jordan was awarded the privilege of hosting IPC10. It will be the first time the IPC will be held in the Middle East.
As such, Geoff and Nadia Lawton have been working with their Jordanian contacts to develop support for the event. And, as you’ll see from what I share below, this effort is proving very fruitful to date. We now have some of the most influential people in the country assisting us in our plans to organise a highly successful IPC10.
Comments (22)Free Range Permaculture on Costa’s Garden Odyssey
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Demonstration Sites, Education Centres, News, Society, Urban Projects — by Patrick Blampied June 12, 2010
You might remember that Kim Kruse from Free Range Permaculture in Cairns appeared on SBS show Costa’s Garden Odyssey a few weeks ago. In case you missed it, check out the clip below:
Confessions of a Permaculture Aid Worker, Episode 5 – Paul David Stockhausen from Hayes Valley Farm, San Francisco
Podcasts — by Patrick Blampied
‘Confessions of a Permaculture Aid Worker’ is a weekly podcast show from PRI Australia aimed at documenting the experiences of people out in the field and making more information available about what’s happening in the Permaculture world.
In Episode 5 I’m speaking to Paul David Stockhausen from Hayes Valley Farm in San Francisco which is a very interesting urban Permaculture project.
If you’re in the area and have done a PDC you might be interested in Hayes Valley Farm’s PDC Teacher Training Course.
Click play to listen:
Confessions of a Permaculture Aid Worker, Episode 5: Paul David Stockhausen Comments (1)Solar Cookers
Energy Systems, Processing & Food Preservation — by Ecofilms June 11, 2010
While we were shooting the Permaculture Soils video with Geoff Lawton, we noticed an array of shiny solar cookers being assembled on the jetty at Zaytuna Farm. Barb Ford from Brisbane was cooking the afternoon lunch for the woofers and students on the farm.
Taking a break from our filming, we asked Barb to give us a run down on the various cookers she had on display and explain their uses. Not all Solar Cookers are the same. Some act as ovens whilst others act as direct burners.
Comments (7)Madder and Madder
Global Warming/Climate Change — by George Monbiot
Lord Monckton’s increasingly extravagant claims threaten to destroy the movement he champions
by George Monbiot: journalist, author, academic and environmental and political activist, United Kingdom
The longer this goes on, the better it will be for all those who take science seriously. Lord Monckton is digging his hole ever deeper, and dragging down into it everyone stupid enough to follow him. Those of us who do battle with climate change deniers can’t inflict one tenth as much damage to their cause that Monckton wreaks every time he opens his mouth.
He has now answered the devastating debunking of his claims published by the professor of mechanical engineering John Abraham(1) with a characteristically bonkers article(2). It conforms to the cast iron rules of climate change denial, which are as follows:
Comments (4)Permaculture Soils DVD Trailer
Compost, DVDs/Books, Fungi, Rehabilitation, Salination, Soil Biology, Soil Composition, Soil Conservation, Structure — by Craig Mackintosh PRI Editor June 9, 2010
It’s a wonderful thing to behold when permaculture passion and top-notch multimedia skills intersect in world-changing ways. Frank and Jane Gapinski of Ecofilms have spent countless hours working up highly educational and highly watchable productions for the PRI for a few years now. It all began with the initial Greening the Desert clip that took the world by storm; then followed the Water Harvesting DVD, the Food Forest DVD, and very recently the Introduction to Permaculture Design DVD. The incredible uptake of these films is living, encouraging proof that there is a new generation emerging who understand what needs to be done, and want to know how to do it!
But wait, there’s more! We’re now awaiting the soon-to-be-released Permaculture Soils DVD! This DVD gets to the very heart of what’s needed for a permanent culture, examining that magical muck that is the foundation of all the aforementioned productions. This work shares insights from Geoff Lawton’s two and a half decade’s worth of worldwide experience in soil creation – an experience gained in some of the world’s most inhospitable environments – helping to make the impossibly complex come to life in wondrously understandable ways. I personally think that holistic studies in soil science should be compulsory, foundational elements for every school syllabus – and that if they had been we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in today – and we hope this DVD will go some distance in making up for this major shortfall in mainstream education.
Check out the trailer, and then stay tuned for future updates on release.
Comments (11)The soil is the great connector of our lives, the source and destination of all. – Wendell Berry, The Unsettling of America, 1977
