Permaculture in Pormpuraaw
Aid Projects, Community Projects, Society, Village Development — by Kym Kruse October 6, 2011
The journey to finding myself in Pormpuraaw teaching Permaculture started back in 2008, when we actively sought to sponsor an indigenous person to take our first PDC here at Rosella Waters, co-taught by Darren Doherty and the PRI’s Geoff Lawton. Through conversation with Noel Pearson’s Cape York Institute, I was lead to Nick Maxwell, an officer with Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP). Nick was based in Bamaga at the time and had a future market garden project in the wings. Two men connected with the project were identified as future stakeholders in the project and drove down to do the PDC. Unfortunately, despite everyone’s best efforts, things didn’t work out as planned and the men lasted just 3-days of the course.
Eugenio Gras – Latin America’s Bio-Fertiliser Pioneer comes to South East Qld
Courses/Workshops, Rehabilitation — by Kym Kruse
Addressing the escalating prices and environmental consequences associated with conventional inputs is one of the main priorities for landholders now and into the future.
Comments (1)The Sheer Ecstasy of Being a Lunatic Farmer
Commercial Farm Projects, Conferences, Courses/Workshops — by Kym Kruse December 1, 2010
RegenAG, its providers and community partners are proud to be hosting a series of 2-day workshops and public talks with “the world’s best farmer”, Joel Salatin. The remaining 2-day workshops are now booked out, as are some of the public talks, however there is still a chance to meet the self described “lunatic farmer” at one of the remaining public events. Details below.
Comments (2)Only Two Months to Go Until the Next Biggest Event in Permaculture
Community Projects, Conferences, Courses/Workshops, News, Social Gatherings — by Kym Kruse July 29, 2010
The 10th Australasian Permaculture Convergence APC10
September 24 – 27, 2010
Do not delay registering for this premier event and promote it throughout your business, training and social networks.
An exciting programme of forums, presentations, workshops, round-table discussions, plenary speakers both skyped in and visiting from around Australia and the world.
Talking about Transition Towns, Indigenous knowledge, urban planning, agriculture, humanitarian & emergency responses, ethics, advocacy, population, gender, business, education & training and so much more.
Plenary speakers and presenters include: Bill Mollison, Daryl Hannah, Maj. Gen. Michael Jeffery, Mark O’Connor, Gunter Pauli, Janet Millington, Sonya Wallace, Russ Grayson, Geoff Lawton, Darren J.Doherty, Andrea Pape, Robin Clayfield, David Holmgren and Costa Georgiadis and many, many more.
An event for newcomers, as well as the traditional Convergence.
All set within the pristine, protected beauty of the tropical Queensland wet tropics rainforest.
Read the July Update and the Programme (PDFs).
Do not leave it to the last minute. Do not miss out.
Comments (1)Municipal Waste Compost Agreement Signed with Local Council in Far North Queensland
Commercial Farm Projects, Community Projects, Compost, News, Rehabilitation, Urban Projects — by Kym Kruse July 16, 2010
Close to nine months ago, a group of passionate young Far North locals decided to approach their local council with the idea of making high quality compost for agriculture from municipal waste. A few days ago we marked a moment in time when, after a steep learning curve or two and 1000’s of hours of work, we signed the contract under the shade of a eucalypt on the bonnet of a Holden Commodore. The Tablelands Regional Council had voted and now signed to support Trust Nature FNQ in its “Vital Soils Initiative”.
Comments (8)Costa & SBS TV Come to Cairns
Community Projects, Courses/Workshops, Demonstration Sites, Education Centres, News, Urban Projects — by Kym Kruse May 18, 2010
Editor’s Note: Well done Kym!
Since around April 2008 Free Range Permaculture have been conducting a school garden program at the Flexible Learning Center (FLC), Cairns, which operates as a Positive Learning Centre for disadvantaged youth and migrant kids ranging in age from 5 – 17 years.
The FLC was started in a shed at the same site by a committed group of educators who recognized the importance of providing an alternative approach to working with children who, for various reasons, were struggling with the traditional classroom environment.
Comments (5)APC10 – Permaculture Convergence, Far North Queensland, September 2010
Community Projects, Conferences, Courses/Workshops, Demonstration Sites, Education Centres, Food Shortages, Society, peak oil — by Kym Kruse April 27, 2010
Permaculture Cairns is still a young group having formed in August 2007, but there’s no limit to our ambition and determination to contribute to strengthening the Permaculture movement in our region of the world and beyond.
This year the Australasian Permaculture Convergence (APC10) will be hosted in the beautiful Wet Tropics township of Kuranda, 30 km west of Cairns.
The website www.apc10.org contains the latest updates on speakers and events to be held during our 4 – 5 day gathering. The theme: Getting Australasia Ready; Permaculture Solutions for a Changing World, reminds us that this an opportunity to gear the movement up in preparedness for both the extremities in natural perturbations in climate as well as peak oil and other rapid and dramatic declines in resources.
Comments (4)Rosella Waters Earthworks, Phase I, Part B
Aquaculture, Biological Cleaning, Conservation, Dams, Demonstration Sites, Earth Banks, Education Centres, Food Forests, Gabions, Irrigation, Land, Material, Natural Swimming, Rehabilitation, Roads, Soil Conservation, Swales, Water Harvesting — by Kym Kruse January 9, 2010
 The Mushroom Dam overlooking the beach area |
It’s taken a while to find the time to sit down and report on Part B of our earthworks here at Rosella Waters, near Cairns in far North Queensland. Phase I Part A was documented whilst the process was taking place. This latest update however will rely on memory and hurried notes made during the process, together with numerous photos. Large excavations such as the two large dams we constructed in part A are considerably easier to direct and far less time consuming than the finer detail work using smaller machinery as we experienced in putting in Part B.
Comments (6)Sisters, Mothers, Daughters, Grandmothers – The World needs YOU!
Courses/Workshops — by Kym Kruse December 5, 2009
Women’s Only Permaculture Design Certificate course in Far North Queensland
with Rosemary Morrow – Acclaimed author of "The Earth Users Guide to Permaculture"
Sunday 14th March – Sunday 28th March 2010
Walkamin • Near Cairns • Far North Queensland
Since women make about 70% of the consumer decisions that make a family’s carbon footprint, gathering women together and empowering them to affect change is a powerful force for a positive future.
To support the next wave of Women in Permaculture we offered a Women’s Only Permaculture Design Certificate course with world renowned Rosemary Morrow for December 09. However, due to Rosemary’s ongoing work in Africa, this unique course has been re-scheduled for March 14th – 28th 2010. Therefore, you haven’t missed out, there are still a few places left and what a great Christmas present for yourself or someone you love!
So far there are 17 passionate women booked on this course from a diverse range of backgrounds, culture and expertise. At Rosella Waters we are looking forward to this highly anticipated course where women are offered a rare learning and sharing experience. Come and join us in Far North Queensland, on the banks of the Barron River for what promises to be a very inspiring event.
Click here to download the PDF with full details.
Comments (1)Rosella Waters – Earthworks Phase 1, Part A
Dams, Demonstration Sites, Earth Banks, Land, Material, Swales, Water Harvesting — by Kym Kruse August 9, 2009
After many months of planning and waiting for the earthmovers to have their equipment available, the transformation of our humble 6 acres has begun.
As with any major event in one’s life, there was an air of excited anticipation and a slightly sick feeling in our stomachs. Just like the one you can get when you go travelling in far-flung places. You feel as ready as you’ll ever be but not 100% sure how things will pan out. Since doing our PDCs at the PRI over 2 years ago, these are our first major earthworks and time to put all that theory into practice!
Comments (6)Compost & Compost Tea Workshop
Compost, Courses/Workshops, Rehabilitation — by Kym Kruse May 15, 2009
A workshop in the utilization of local “waste” in providing all the required nutrients for productive systems, with Paul Taylor.
FarmReady Approved Course ID# FRTC0185
July 18th – July 19th 2009. 09:00-17:00 with lunch break
Malanda • Atherton Tablelands • Far North Queensland
$265 for 2 Days Incl. Morning & Afternoon Tea & Lunch
Topics include:
- Making “backyard compost”
- The principles of compost tea
- Compost tea brewers
- Creating beneficial soil biology
- Making commercial amounts of high-value compost from dairy and feedlot waste, using a tractor driven compost turner
- and much more….
Don’t miss this opportunity to learn the benefits of a management system based in beneficial soil biology from compost. Use less water and reduce your need of fertilizer!
Click here for a PDF with full details on the course.
Comments (2)Organic Waste Matters
Compost, Rehabilitation, Soil Erosion & Contamination, Water Contaminaton & Loss — by Kym Kruse May 14, 2009
by Kym Kruse, of Free Range Permaculture
Next time you go to throw that banana peel in the bin, stop and think about the environmental impact that action has. As with most things these days, we are quickly running out of landfill space. More than 50% of all household waste, from vegetable scraps to garden waste, can be recycled or composted. By doing this you can not only help your own bank account, but also help the environment by reducing landfill contamination and greenhouse gases.
When organic matter in landfill breaks down it does so anaerobically, meaning without oxygen. This occurs because landfill is compressed, which squeezes out all the oxygen. Anaerobic decomposition produces acids which when mixed with items such as plastic creates a toxic mix called leachate. This poison then leaches into the ground water and from there it’s a short trip to our waterways. Harmful greenhouse gasses such as methane and carbon dioxide are also produced, which contribute to our climate change problems. All of that, just for throwing a banana peel in the bin? The answer is yes, but the other question is “What do we do about it?” The answer to that is simple.
Comments (1)Women’s Only PDC in Far North Queensland with Rosemary Morrow
Courses/Workshops — by Kym Kruse April 20, 2009
Sunday 29th November – Sunday 13th December 2009
Walkamin • Near Cairns • Far North Queensland
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to take part in a very special two week Women’s Only Permaculture Design Certificate Course, taught by one of the best, internationally renowned teachers in the world. Rosemary is the acclaimed author of “The Earth Users Guide to Permaculture” and a role model for all aspiring female Permaculturists. This rare Women’s Only event promises to be an opportunity not to be missed. The course will incorporate intensive theory and practice in all aspects of Permaculture Design. This course is being held at FreeRange Permaculture’s demonstration site “Rosella Waters”, a stunning 6 acres situated right on the banks of the Barron River.
Click here for full details (226kb PDF).
Comments (3)Last Chance!
Courses/Workshops — by Kym Kruse February 16, 2009
 Rosella Waters |
This is your last chance to secure a spot in FreeRange Permaculture’s March PDC, to be taught by the incomparable Darren Doherty. Darren, fresh back from the land of the long white cloud New Zealand, will be teaching his final PDC in Australia for some time. This is your last chance to catch him before he heads off on a world wide teaching tour for the remainder of 2009. We’re very happy he’s chosen to visit us in the Far North as his last port of call!
Our Permaculture demonstration site is Rosella Waters, located near the thriving international tourist city of Cairns. The 2.38H property is situated in Walkamin, on the edge of what is locally known as the “jump-up”, the aftermath of an ancient lava flow. At an elevation of close to 600 meters above sea level and with over 1000mm of rainfall per year, it has a unique climate within our wet tropics region. The property is fronted by 194 meters of the Barron River, which flows year round and is the major river in the region.
Comments (0)Courses in Sunny Far North Queensland
Aid Projects, Courses/Workshops, Demonstration Sites — by Kym Kruse January 22, 2009
Rosella Waters |
At FreeRange Permaculture we are focussed on bringing a variety of world-class courses and workshops in a range of sustainable practices, to the Far North.
Our Permaculture demonstration site is Rosella Waters, located near the thriving international tourist city of Cairns. The 2.38Ha property is situated in Walkamin, on the edge of what is locally known as the “jump-up”, the aftermath of an ancient lava flow. At an elevation of close to 600 meters above sea level and with over 1000mm of rainfall per year, it has a unique climate within our wet tropics region. The property is fronted by 194 meters of the Barron River, which flows year round and is the major river in the region.
In November 2008 we held our first 2 week residential Permaculture Design Course (PDC) at Rosella Waters. The course was a great success with 26 people coming from as close as Cairns to as far away as California. A big thank you to both Geoff Lawton and Darren Doherty for sharing their expertise and knowledge and to all the participants for making the event so memorable and rewarding for everyone involved. Needless to say lives were changed, and one young man from Utah booked a plane ticket to Jordan to work on the PRI Jordan project before the course had even finished!
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