Galifrey Permaculture Project

Location: Braidwood, New South Wales, Australia
Start Date: August 2004
Expected Completion Date: June 2011

Female Alpaca Herd, June 2007

Project Concept

To develop a commercial (profitable and large scale) sustainable permaculture farm.

Detailed Project Description:

Amethyst Dam, June 2007

Our 250 acre property is outside Braidwood on the southern tablelands of NSW, near the Great Dividing Range and Shoalhaven River, and between Canberra and the coast. We have established a commercial scale alpaca herd (currently 56 animals), and are adding pomegranates and other orchard/timber crops on a commercial scale, as well as establishing permaculture food production for ourselves and our community in Zones 1 and 2.

Half of our property has been dedicated to regrowth forest, which covers the ridges and several level 1 creeks that start on the ridge and flow into the Shoalhaven. The other half has been cleared and has had some pasture improvement in the past (fertiliser and phalaris grass establishment).

Our climate is temperate, with snow sometimes, many frosty nights, and hot dry summers. In the past, rainfall patterns have been steady throughout the year, totalling 600mm annually. This year, we are in drought again, and the rain patterns are further apart, with lots of dry spells with no rainfall. Our project aims are to:

1. Maintain and improve our stocking capacity for our commercial alpaca and beef cattle herds: Improve our pastures providing more food (trees and grasses) and more intensive grazing and paddock rotation for our alpaca herd and small beef cattle herd, as well as wind breaks and shelter belts – involves fencing into smaller paddocks, yeoman’s ploughing to improve water holding capacity of soil, building dams, water reticulation from header tanks to water troughs by pumping up from the dams, application of organic fertilisers, reseeding pastures (direct drill or spreading), and planting of wind breaks and shelter belts in paddocks, laneways, and around dams.
2. Develop a commercial orchard and timber crop, specialising in pomegranates: Establish laneways and fencing to keep stock out; acquire plant-stock and propagate plants; prepare planting areas (deep rip or holes, water, organic fertiliser) and acquire/make mulching material; make provision for watering plants; plant trees (with tree-guards); mulch; water until established.
3. Provide food, firewood, and other materials for ourselves and our community: Develop Zone 1 vegetable garden with fruit trees; Develop Zone 2 orchards with poultry management and grow food for poultry species (and provide safe housing); Develop food forest; Build relationships with local agricultural coop and various friends and neighbours to sell surplus or share in produce (and the work!); Clear current deadfall in forest for firewood for heating.
4. Retrofit our home for energy efficiency: insulate walls and seal windows to decrease need for heating; plant windbreaks around house paddock (Zones 1 and 2); build pergolas and structural windbreaks; add solar panels and wind turbine to generate power and to put back into the grid.
5. Revegetate creeks and waterways, and add biodiversity to regrowth forest: fence off creeks and gullies and provide water troughs in other paddocks for animals, prepare for tree planting (deep rip), acquire/ propagate suitable local species, plant and mulch and put tree guards in, water until established; identify other suitable local species and acquire or propagate tubestock, replant throughout forest.
6. Develop permaculture teaching materials to run local Introduction to Permaculture courses, using our property to illustrate concepts and species; develop sufficient interest in permaculture to be able to run at least 1 Design Certificate Course (14 days) annually in the local area.
7. Assist others in designing their permaculture projects, building on local experience.

Project Duration & Schedule:

Short term – water pipes and troughs into new paddocks; add silage liner to leaking dam; commence planting windbreaks and shelter belts and commercial orchard.

Medium term – site header tanks on slopes above 2 highest dams and connect pipes to all water troughs; wait for heavy rain and overflowing dams to pump up and fill header tanks; apply organic fertiliser to remainder of paddocks and reseed with multi-species grasses/ herbs/ forbs mix; do second pass of Yeoman’s plough and build any swales; plant swales; propagate/ acquire plants for tree belts and orchards; plant and structural windbreaks in house paddock; develop materials for permaculture courses.

Geese (Chinese and Tufted Italian) and Ducks (Aylesburys and Muscovies), June 2007

Long term – complete all planting; insulate home; energy production on site; run permaculture courses; design permaculture projects for others.

Project Needs:

Labour for planting and water reticulation, plant propagation, building of infrastructure; funds to acquire infrastructure; plant seeds and cuttings to establish propagation library.

Other Information:

I am a graduate of the January 2007 Melbourne Permaculture Design Certificate Course, and a permaculture practitioner for over 25 years. I have also completed a Farm Planning Course sponsored by NSW Department of Agriculture and a Landscape Design Course.

Zone 1 Vege Garden and Orchard – in the making

Zone 1 Garden, December 2007