August 2013 Update for PRI Maungaraeeda, Sunshine Coast

by Zaia Kendall

The Earthworks course initiated the first week of August. As we were not undertaking a major Earthworks project on the property, everyone had a look at works already done on the property and a dam being dug elsewhere. Contour and surveying was taught and some practical experience had. The plants planted on the new swale were also looked at, and Tom explained the multiple purposes of the plants, including erosion control on the swale mounds.

After Earthworks we launched straight into the Urban Permaculture course. Anne Gibson taught two days of container gardening and small space solutions, as well as a practical potting mix experience. Tom followed on with tours of Urban Permaculture places in the area and the students then made a herb spiral on our future Urban Permaculture demonstration site.

Paul Taylor then joined us for a week to teach his Sustainable Soil Management course. Everyone really enjoyed the information dense and practical week, especially the spraying of the bio-fertiliser!

This was then followed by a week of the biogas project, in which interns and students rendered the inside of the biodigester. The dome and the inlet and outlet were built and rendered. There is still more work to be done on it, but it is looking great already! (Article to come…)

During these weeks interns still had time to plant beds with sweet potatoes and carrots, look after the animals and paint the outhouse! (We are lucky to have such extremely productive and industrious interns and volunteers here at PRI Sunshine Coast!)

Tom and our interns then left for Zaytuna Farm where Tom is teaching PRI Australia’s interns for two weeks.

Later this month Tom will be teaching PRI Maungaraeeda, Sunshine Coast’s last Permaculture Design Certificate course for this year. Places are still available to learn from the lifelong agriculturalist who walks the talk.