Grow Local – Permaculture Day this Sunday

Chooks in the backyard, compost and worm farms, thriving vegetable gardens, rainwater harvesting or passive heating and cooling systems – these are all things many Australians are installing in their homes and this weekend we get a chance to go have a peek at them.

Permaculture Day is celebrated on the first Sunday in May each year, and the weekend is given over to open homes and demonstrations of sustainable activities everywhere, from inner-city courtyards and balconies to schools, community gardens and farms.

Permaculture is a design system for sustainable living, developed by Australians Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970s and now practiced by millions worldwide.

While many associate Permaculture with growing food, it is also about sustainable housing, water harvesting, eliminating waste, renewable energy, agroforestry, animal management, finance, building community and earth repair.

This year’s theme is ‘Grow Local!’ to highlight the value of permaculture design for building local resilience. By using the tools of permaculture and a little community spirit, we can start to meet some of our basic energy, clean water and fresh food needs, right in our own gardens.

Check the website permacultureday.org/eventcategory/australia/ to see what is on in your neighbourhood.