Farmers of our Valley Series – Ninian Sternbeck
Each month, we will profile the wonderful Farmers of our Valley as a way to inform and honor what they contribute. Over the year, I think you will be surprised about who is growing produce, how much is being produced and how it’s being produced. New, young farmers...
Caretaker Required – long-term residence farm share opportunity
Do you love the country and a permaculture lifestyle? Would you like a change or to take some time out to think and slow down? Would you like to live on a farm submersed in nature for a while, rent free, in exchange for some work? Then read on… maybe this is an...
New PSI Trainer – George Gilmour
George is one of latest trainers here at PSI. George is local here and brings with him a wealth of experience and expertise that will assist future students. George has excellent people and communication skills and is a very fine trainer. He has completed the...
PSI in Pictures
PSI IN PICTURES 2018 marks the end of 7 years since PSI began. We have achieved much in that time but have so much more planned for the future. Take a look below to see how far we have come and where we are headed. Thank you for being part of our journey.
News from our recent Wicking-Pot Garden Workshop
The wicking-pot garden workshop attracted a range of people - locals, a Sydney restaurateur, the local school, and others concerned about water wise low maintenance gardening. Everyone got to make their own systems to walk away with at the end of the day ready...
Another year over and what have we done?
It was the year we celebrated 40 years of permaculture (since permaculture one) and in honour of this we ramped up our delivery of Permaculture whilst continuing our usual activities and services. In a nutshell we: EDUCATION: Delivered extra permaculture...
A Visit from Guangdong Farmers
Organic farmers from Guangdong province of China visited us here at PSI this week to learn about Permaculture and see it in practice here. Most had never heard of Permaculture so the visit was a real eye opener. There were loads of questions and interest about...
From the Aquaponics system – Our trout harvest, what a treat!
Well these are the ones that didn’t get away! And I’m so pleased we now have 12 rainbow trout in the freezer – one for each month of the year! They are great tasting and really good for you too! Here is our neighbour Heath who helped with the harvest. An experienced...
Another group of new beekeepers emerged very happy from the day’s workshop
Here’s what some participants had to say about the workshop Before doing the beekeeping for beginner’s course I had thought a lot about how I could include bees and bee keeping in my everyday life. I had read a lot and interacted with other beekeepers. So not...
Our Spring Permabee
At our last Permabee we constructed a new wicking bed for some Perennial vegetables and espaliered fruit trees. We made the slightly raised garden using small children’s wading pools for the water reservoir, blue metal gravel, wicking material, soil and of...
Ethical Christmas Hampers
Why not consider giving a special xmas hamper this year? We are now preparing different types of hampers including a mixed hamper; a woodlovers hamper and a produce lovers hamper. All the contents have been lovingly sourced and home made from the farm and are...
Introduction to Permaculture Design Course – The 10 module weekend option
If the 5-day course doesn’t suit you then take your time and do it over 3 weekends, over 3 months. It’s the same course content however offered slower which suits those who want to take the time to thoroughly design their garden with course support spaced apart over...
A five-day straight or monthly course? the choice is yours.
Introduction to Permaculture Design Courses The Five-Day Intro course. 15th to 19th September. Bookings are now filling for our upcoming spring 5-Day Introduction to Permaculture Design Course 15th to 19th September. There are still places left if you want to jump in....
NEWS from our recent winter PDC Course
Our winter PDC Course has just finished with another group already doing great things. We had a very skilled and talented group of people already doing wonders in the world but about to do even more with permaculture. Some of the pics show what they did...
Graduates Get-together, a great success!
It was a weekend of meet and great; connecting with old friendships, starting new; show and tell; sharing journeys and plans for the future and celebrating permaculture. And what a weekend it was! It reinvigorated some, inspired others, stimulated us all, and recommitted us to keep going with our permaculture projects and lifestyle.
Aquaponics Masterclas and Fruit Tree Workshop News
Aquaponics Masterclass Workshop Our April Aquaponics workshop was another great success with participants from around Australia and the globe attending. The attendees constructed a new system here from scratch and learned about systems of all scales. All were serious...
International Permaculture Day and its history
International Permaculture Day is an event and history very close to my heart. It’s close because I was instrumental in developing it. From 2000 to 2013. For those of you interested in its roots and development I have my story. It all started back in 2000 when the...
From “way out” to very “in” in 40 years.
Permaculture evolved from visionary thinking by Bill Mollison and others in the early 1970’s to becoming a stated design system in 1978 in “Permaculture One”. The statement by David Holmgren pinpoints the date when we can say Permaculture became a thing to understand and do.
News and Feedback from the recent Preserving Workshop
A small but serious group of preservers attended our recent preserving workshop at Bandusia to improve their preserving and fermenting skills. It was a fun weekend making Kombucha, sauerkraut, pickles, jams, jellies, chutneys and bottling fruit and tomatoes.
Pecan Nut Harvest & Public Pick Day
March is the month we prepare for our Pecan nut harvest.
The nuts are developed on the trees ready to fall despite the lack of rain and we need to keep the grass mowed short so we can see the nuts to pick up. Timing is critical to capture the nuts before the birds and foxes or before a flood washes them away down the river like last year. With 70 trees there are a huge amount of nuts to collect so we will be holding our regular Easter nut hunt – Pecan Pick Day Sunday 22nd April.