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Limestone Permaculture

Integrated PDC Internships

 

2018 Intake applications are ‘NOW OPEN’!

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Course: Flexible 32 day Internship + Permaculture Design Certificate Course (PDC 72hr course)

Date: {4 weekdays per/week} 5th Feb to 29th March

Time: 8am to 3pm (flexible)

Venue: Limestone Permaculture Farm (846 The Bucketts Way, STROUD ROAD. NSW 2415)

Includes:

  - Earth User's Guide to Permaculture (2nd Edition) by Rosemary Morrow

  - Morning tea & lunch . 

Cost:

  - Price: $2800 ($500 initial deposit) – Balance paid by 30th Jan 2018

​Accommodation:  Please note there is NO available farm accommodation so please check out our local accommodation page > here < for very affordable rooms/cabins/camping etc

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*Please note:

The nature of the farm work does require a level of fitness and strength

as some educational duties can be physically demanding.

Limestone Permaculture is now offering 8 week internships with integrated personalised Permaculture Design Certificates.   (Please note, each 8 week block internship is limited to 3 interns.)

 

This is a unique opportunity to undertake a more personal PDC, whilst gaining a wide range of practical regenerative farming, intensive gardening & ‘permaculture income’ skills, mostly on our highly productive small acre homestead along with some field trips to local farms & businesses.

 

The 32 day internship includes approx 12 days of Permaculture Design Certificate Course theory, projects & practical tuition, ensuring you emerge from your internship armed with a grounded knowledge in permaculture design & implementation that you can then carry into your daily lives.

 

Over your 8 week internship, Brett will provide you with a solid understanding of Permaculture Ethics, Principles & Design as based on Bill Mollison’s teachings whilst immersing you in hands-on involvement of all aspects of our Limestone Permaculture Farm operations including but not limited to:

  • Water Management: Learn water saving techniques, irrigation, use of gravity, water capture & disbursement etc 

  • Kitchen & Small Scale Market Gardening: Learn the importance of healthy soil ecology & natural soil maintenance, intensive plant stacking, succession planting, seasonal crop rotation, irrigation & watering, natural pest management and more. 

  • Orchard on Swales: Learn how to construct & maintain an orchard food forest on swales, experience chop & drop mulching, fruit & nut pruning, pest prevention, exclusion netting & much more.

  • Native Bush Foods: Learn about the potential of integrating bush-foods into your orchard & garden.

  • Seed saving & Sowing: Learn how to save & store seed & sow seed according to plant type.

  • Bee management: Learn about European & Native bees that reside on the farm.

  • Plant Propagation & Identification: Create seasonal plants from cuttings, layering, division etc

  • Plant Guild building: Learn how to create a Beneficial Ecology to support your main crops!

  • Composting & Manure Teas: Learn hot composting, weed & manure tea techniques.

  • Farmgate management: Learn proper harvesting techniques; produce preparation & presentation in readiness for farmgate or farmers market sales, understand clever customer service & marketing.

  • Building with recycled materials: Learn from a certified 'Carpenter & Joiner' on proper tool operation & construction techniques.

  • Animal management: Experience the benefits of using permaculture to enable re-generative animal systems and maintain good animal health.

  • Design techniques, Consultation & Aerial Photo-mapping: Join Brett on special consultations & farm aerial photo mapping trips, to understand firsthand how to undertake a ‘Site Sector Analysis’, ‘Bio-region assessment’ & ‘Client Assessment’.   

  • Option to assist: with our workshops & courses that are conducted periodically on our farm as part of our ongoing permaculture education program.

The in’s & outs! 

  • 8 week block > Flexible 4 days a week > Flexible 7hr day                          (includes morning tea break & lunch break)

  • Hands-on work experience & training based on the seasonal changes on the Farm, Market garden and related Permaculture components.

  • Access to resources (books, demonstrations, past designs, planning and informative documents).

  • Approx 2hr to 2.5hrs per day of theory to ensure interns achieve there Permaculture design Certificate.

  • Affordable accommodation available off farm

  • Intern students to bring their own outdoor work clothes, boots, hat, rain jacket etc.

  • A passion to learn & absorb life changing education on an active permaculture farm.

Course Catering

Wholefood Catering by Nici. This includes morning tea, lunch and refreshments utilising seasonal farm fresh & local organic produce. Happily catering for those with food allergies & intolerances where requested.

 

About our PDC

At Limestone Permaculture, we teach a combination of Bill Mollinson, David Holmgren & Rosemary Morrow's 72-hour PDC curriculum providing a practical introduction to permaculture principles, applications & design practices.

The expected outcome of which, is your gained knowledge and skills to design your property, create regenerative abundance, become self-reliant, provide practical sustainability in your home & workplace. help build a resilient community and be awake to all the possibilities permaculture guidance brings for a natural lifestyle! Our permaculture training also gives special attention to our intern’s climatic zone.

PDC curriculum

• Permaculture principles, ethics, design methodologies & pathways to sustainability

• Patterns & processes in nature, sustainable management, essential earth systems science & understanding global climate influences

• Soil ecology, organic soil management, mulches and compost

• Water management planning, collection, storage and conservation, earthworks and aquaculture

• Forest ecosystems & design of forests for food, forage, fibre, structural materials, habitat, conservation, wildlife, tree-cropping and farm forestry

• Food producing systems for home gardens, small holdings, urban systems to broad acre farmlands

• Design to reduce vulnerability to fire, drought, natural disasters, and impacts of global climate change

• Appropriate technology, renewable energy systems, and passive solar house design

• Bio-regional & community development strategies, urban renewal, farmers markets, community gardens and city farms

*Please note:

The nature of the farm work does require a level of fitness and strength as some educational duties can be physically demanding.

 

As a participant on Limestone farm there is also an expectation that the intern:

  • will be motivated and physically able to undertake farming & gardening training tasks throughout the 8 week internship when required

  • will listen & follow directions by teacher

  • will abide by farm & house rules

  • will interact with visitors, students, customers and other interns in a polite, friendly and informative manner

  • will start & finish on time

  • will not bring or use prohibitive substances on the property

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Application Process

Please register your interest and we will provide you with an application.

Successful applicants will be contacted within 14days of submission.

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