Welcome to our new Allyn River Permaculture website. We are still setting up this site. Some of the general pages are in place and we are close to adding a number of detailed pages, including planning and the food forest.
Allyn River Permaculture Farm is a 7.5ha property on the beautiful Allyn River at Allynbrook, NSW. The farm is being established as a permaculture display and education centre by an architect and permaculture teacher.
We have established the major components of our water harvesting with dams and swales. A citrus and stone fruit orchard and a subtropical food forest are in place. Farm forestry and riparian area revegetation are works in progress.
Our animal systems include free range chickens and guinea fowl, we have just introduced two young Dexter Heifers to the property.
Our own manure, wow!.
We are always involved in varying and exciting projects and we are now registered WWOOFer hosts. (see WWOOFing page under Farm Visits for details)
A new course at WEA Hunter a great success.
“Sustainable gardening with Permaculture”
This class will introduce participants to techniques in developing an organic sustainable garden for food production using permaculture principles. This will Include design layout and construction, using ‘no dig’ techniques, compost making and how to improve you soils, water management, using animals in the system and natural pest control.
The course is suitable for new or established gardens of any size including unit balconies.
Look to term 2, WEA brochure for future course dates.
***** Our 2012 Permaculture Courses and Workshop bochure. *****
Click here to open our pdf bochure ARP 2012 flier lores
Permaculture Design Certificate
During the later half of the year we will also be offering a “Permaculture Design Course” which is an intensive 72hr course, which will be held over 6 weekend,
Last year’s Permaculture Courses a great success!
Allyn River Permaculture in conjunction with Garden Village Permaculture held their first local course, an “Introduction to Permaculture” in 2011. The course was held on a property at Torryburn with field work on our farm at Allynbrook. Participants came from Sydney and Newcastle with the majority coming from the local area.
It was a very intensive weekend discussing issues such as the Permaculture ethics and principles. We also covered broadacre planning, water management, forestry, home gardening and community issues such as LETS and ‘go local.’
A number of people stayed on site, and the course included home-cooked meals which were enjoyed by all.
It was suggested that a local Permaculture Group be formed – Watch this Space for further details.
Feedback was great as everybody had had a stimulating and enjoyable weekend
Our 2012 calendar will be released soon with further courses to include:-
- Introduction to Permaculture
- Property design with Permaculture
- Permaculture Design Course
- Practical workshops such as composting and compost teas
Good Publicity
This article appeared in the Newcastle Herald newspaper, 25th October 2010, thanks to Stephen Williams for the report.
Click here to read article Newcastle Herald article
Organic Pest and Disease Control
(from notes taken on HOGS field trip to John Priestley citrus orchard, Paterson, NSW)
Citrus Leaf Miner – Sometimes seen as an advantage as leaves will fall off and not damage new fruit by rubbing against it. Not considered a problem once tree grows. There is a predator mite which lives in Brown Box Trees and needs a pollen source in winter.
Citrus Gall Wasp – Seem to attack grapefruit and rough lemon which John removed. Not problem with mandarin.
Fruit Fly – do not attack fruit on ground.
Use a bait made from: 1 teaspoon vanilla,
1 cup sugar,
1 tablespoon cloudy ammonia
1 litre water.
Put in a 2 litre bottle with 2 small holes (8mm) mid way and hang in tree with lid on. Replace 2-3 times a year.
(The fruit fly will fly up to the lid and be trapped)
Scale and sooty mould – blend cooking oil, 2 drops molasses or a green detergent with 2 litres boiling water. Dilute 1:10 and apply early November and January.
Bronze Orange Bug – collect small number bugs in water, blend, dilute and spray on remaining bugs.
Grasshoppers – these attack weak plants that are low in silica. Try clay spray.
Blossom end rot – use boron or sulphur – ½ tsp per litre water.
Fungus and black spot – need to change the ph by spraying every 10 – 14 days with a rotation of apple cider vinegar, bicarb soda, molasses all diluted 1:20.
Worms in animals – feed with pumpkin seeds on full moon.
Lichen – can ring bark a tree – spray with pure milk – will be gone in 3 months
Permaculture Hunter
The Permaculture Hunter Region held their second regular monthly meeting on June 16th at 6.30pm at the Elderly Citizen Centre, Laing Street, Newcastle.
This month our chairman Ross Brown gave the low down on his chook keeping and Ross Brown from Purple Pear Organics gave a talk about their business which is a combination of CSA market garden
and education centre. The gardens are based on a mandala layout using a chook dome system for cultivation.
Dont forget we are now WWOOFer hosts.