We’ve had some amazing workshops this year already at PSI but don’t worry we still have a great line up to come. The year’s been busy, chocked filled with educational workshops and events at Bandusia and in Sydney. We started our famous Intro to Permaculture Courses with a good complement of participants; and we our now gearing up to start another round and our very special PDC Course with David Holmgren amongst other extra special trainers.
We began the year with a Bamboo Construction Workshop (making a Da Vinci bridge), then held another successful Beekeeping workshop in summer and a Kitchen Garden workshop, followed by a Heritage Fruit Tree Workshop, our Cider, Perry and Fruit Wine Making Workshop, and our Preserving Workshop. At the Easter Show in Sydney we promoted permaculture and the work of local groups, aiming to increase their membership. We spoke to loads of people hearing about permaculture for the first time.
We have also had our fair share of chaos this year here at Bandusia with an extremely hot summer, long drought periods with several days reaching 45 degrees and then extended wet periods and two floods since xmas – one resulting in locals being stranded and a helicopter rescue operation by the SES. All learning experiences of course.
Despite such extreme conditions, our newly established food forest coped with all this very well. We have only lost two trees and instead of looking like it is struggling (like many other orchards on other properties) ours is powering, already producing abundantly and looking green, healthy and resilient. The sugar cane and grasses are now towering above our heads and it is looking more like a tropical rainforest than a food forest. Its now soon about to take the frost and winter test so we’ll see how it all goes.
Workshops coming soon include our: Farm Forestry with David Holmgren; DIY Vertical Gardens; our warming winter Wild Weaving and Social Permaculture Workshops with Robin Clayfield; Energy and Water Efficiency; Sustainable Poultry with Meg Miller; Holistic Management; Food Forest; Weeds; Wildlife Workshops and more. There’s something for everyone at PSI and, if there’s not, tell us what you want and we will organize it for you. Hope to see you soon at one of our workshops or courses.
Penny Pyett
