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The opportunity exists as John and Sharon Champagne open Brogo Permaculture Gardens to the public on the next two Saturdays, February 7 and 14.
The 20-year establishment of this property has seen it mature into one of best examples of temperate permaculture design on small acreage.
It’s been a long journey they are excited about sharing as John Champagne explains.
“From living in Melbourne as dependant consumers to venturing into being responsible producers on small acres in Brogo has been rewarding in so many ways,” he said.
“The highlight was providing an environment where Sharon and I could raise five children with an innate understanding of how important natural resources are and how real food is grown.”
Features of Brogo Permaculture Gardens include growing over 75 varieties of fruit trees and nuts; an owner-built passive solar mudbrick house; use of earthworks for keyline water harvesting techniques such as swales and ephemeral ponds; poultry integrated orchard systems; homemade composting toilet and treated greywater systems; shelterbelt plantings; stand-alone active solar power; commercial scale Food Forest gully restoration and vegetable gardens.
“To get a good grasp of understanding permaculture as a thinking tool is best done by attending a 72-hour Design Course which we run annually in the Bega Valley around April,” he said.
“It’s a 13-day crash course on all the areas you need to be thinking about in order to live within the natural limits of your environment. “You’ll then learn 12 design principles to incorporate into a variety of design methods towards drawing up a Master Plan.”
A misconception about permaculture is that it’s about promoting self-sufficiency.
Although this is important from a personal perspective, as a global movement its practitioners are actively engaged at their local level building community self-reliance, and building the invisible structures towards a local food economy, he said.
“As a known local permaculturist, it’s been a privilege to have been involved in a group such as SCPA and work at the grassroots progressively with many others to help buffer this region from the inevitable consequences of energy descent and climate change.”
Tours on the Saturday start at 10am and John leads a two-hour guided tour through his property and house at 397 Hawkshead Rd in Brogo.
Bookings are essential as numbers are capped and further details, directions and bookings available at www.permaculturedesign.com.au or phone John 6492 7306.
