Editor’s Note: Karen reflects on her two months of learning on the farm.

Reflecting back over the 8 weeks of our permaculture internship, I wanted to attempt to distil and share what I’ve learned about permaculture.

For a start, permaculture is one of those terms that a single definition won’t cover – it’s multi-dimensional in theory and in practice. On our first evening here at Kaitiaki Farm, five interns around the dinner table gave five different descriptions of what they understood permaculture to be. For example; sustainable agriculture; a systems/holistic approach to farming; working together with nature and natural processes in agriculture. It is all this and more. It is a blend of scientific knowledge and traditional approaches. It is a framework for resilience in an uncertain world.

At the heart of permaculture are the ethics of earth care, people care, and fair share. It’s about considering the part humans play in natural resource cycles, and designing for sustainability of these systems.

Permaculture is not exclusively for those with land in the countryside. We can be permaculturists on city sections, as apartment-dwellers, and as vagabonds.

Permaculture can inform many of our life choices; how we manage our finances; how we share surpluses; how we design our homes and workplaces; and how we form our communities. Permaculture encourages us to consider our actions from all angles.

Permaculture helps build sustainable communities: Whanganui has a local “green dollar” currency – River Exchange and Barter System (REBS) – where members can barter or exchange skills and produce using River Dollars (which are equal in value to $NZ). There is a REBS stall every week at the Saturday River Traders Market. We transported garlic from Kaitiaki Farm to the market by bike.

Permaculture helps us design systems which are multi-dimensional, and which factor in resilience. At Kaitiaki Farm the wood-burner warms the house in winter, while also heating the hot water, and is used for cooking. While there is also an electric stove, often a solar cooker is used to prepare meals. Having several different cooking options means the household doesn’t go hungry in a power outage and makes cooking more of an adventure.

Karen

Our first-of-its-kind Permaculture Design Internship attracts the highest quality candidates from around the world to Kaitiaki farm in Okoia, Whanganui. We are blessed to have three incredible interns at the moment: Karen, Avery and Sarah.

On a recent Wednesday their experiences included milking goats, care-taking ducklings, checking stoat traps, picking strawberries, mulching tomatoes, discovering two naughty children had eaten half of each strawberry, an impromptu lesson in wire straining, feeding and watering pigs, remediating a slip on the hillside, solar cooking, a formal lesson on plant propagation, and eating lots and lots of fresh plums.

The eight-week internship programme immerses learners in farm living and eco-design thinking. Here is what a recent intern had to say after his experience:

Forever thanks! This is exactly the kind of experience that makes me feel that quiting my job to travel and learn new things, was absolutely worth it. I will always be thankful for making me feel at home so far away from mine. You are definitely one of the most amazing and authentic families that i have ever met!

I am taking with me the best memories and also the inspiration i needed to keep on following my goals! And be sure that i will never forget of how i started this voyage on Permaculture at Kaitiaki Farm with my kiwi-american family =)

 Much love and my best wishes to all, Manu, Verti, Dani and Nelson.

Always count on me on anything! – Mario.

Details of the programme can be found here: http://www.theecoschool.net/workstudy-permaculture-design-certificate.html

2017 was a year of extremes worldwide in terms of weather and politics. It has been tough on farmers in our region. But is has also been an incredibly successful year for The ECO School and Kaitiaki Farm.

Some highlights include:

Our PDC internship programme is the first of its kind and we are receiving amazing interns from around the world.

Our pre-school outdoor programme was a finalist in the WWF (NZ) Conservation Awards.

Our Eco-Thrifty Renovation project has been included in permaculture co-founder David Holmgren’s new book.

We surpassed 2,000 trees planted on the farm.

We ran a hugely successful Curtain Bank in Whanganui providing free curtains to nearly 100 families in two weeks.

For the fourth year we provided free workshops during Adult Learners Week.

We hosted the 5th Annual Whanganui Permaculture Weekend – attracting people from around the lower North Island.

And we are still growing the World’s Best Garlic.

A huge thanks goes out to the interns who have helped us achieve the vision of a resilient and productive farm. We couldn’t do it without you!

Peace, Estwing