Att2 - Permaculture Report

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Overall site design sketch map (see speci c design detail in the report
below)

Expansion of Syntropic Systems and Orchards can be in all areas that have
been marked as dedicated to permaculture as indicated on the architect
drawing. Orchards will be converted to food forests.




Syntropic and orchard areas are marked larger to enable extension of
those areas over time.
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Permaculture

Permaculture is a design system which focuses on a closed cycle methodology, using
energy produced within the system to produce energy for the system.
The word Permaculture is derived from “Permanent (Agri)culture”. Permanence is the
operative word, as Permaculture aims to be able to cultivate (Agri)culture permanently.
The only way this can be achieved is by ensuring the permaculture system produces
more energy than it consumes, thus becoming a fully sustainable and self sustaining
system.
Permaculture has adopted a number of other regenerative practices, such as regenerative
grazing methods (cell grazing or holistic management), syntropic farming methods, bio-
intensive farming and more. All these approaches must be regenerative in its nature to be
able to come into the Permaculture fold.
Being sustainable is now no longer enough, one must be regenerative to be able to adapt
to climate change, become more resilient and to assist in combatting climate change.
Permaculture by its nature reduces emissions and resource consumption by re-using, re-
cycling and re-purposing resources. The closed cycle system approach ensures improved
resilience to climate change.

Permeco Inc. approaches every site with the aim to sequester carbon, assist in building
resilience on the site as well as regenerate the soil. As permaculturists we focus on
building soil primarily, from healthy soil comes improved carbon sequestering capacity,
healthier plant and animal life as well as highly productive gardens.
Due to the focus on bio-diversity, we encourage insects, animals and plant life to thrive in
a natural environment, while producing organic wholesome food and restoring healthy soil
life.
As we are in a sub-tropical environment in the Noosa Shire, we have to appreciate the
importance of biomass, biodiversity and accumulated organic matter. We have around
30% of life in the soil and 70% of life above the soil in the sub-tropics, compared to
around 60% of life in the soil and 40% of life above the soil in temperate climates.
Hence the importance of building soil in sub-tropical and tropical areas by using biomass,
biodiversity and accumulated organic matter as described in the methods below.

Permaculture water management practices, which can include minimal earthworks, will
also improve fertility ow on the site, as well as retain nutrients on the site through water
harvesting, thus minimising nutrient loss.
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               Biodiversity

               Permaculture practices emulate natural systems, therefore biodiversity is extremely
               important as all thriving natural systems are biodiverse in nature.
               By introducing more biodiversity into the existing system, there will be an ongoing e ect.
               For every animal or plant species brought into a more natural system, other bene cial
               species are attracted as well. A stable system needs a complex ecology to function. By
               encouraging a more complex and diverse ecology, studies have shown more bene cial
               species are attracted to that ecosystem exponentially.

               Even though the site has orchards on contour, as well as some other permaculture design
               elements, we would recommend improving biodiversity on the site as this seems to be
               lacking (eg citrus orchards with grass surrounding trees, which is an unnatural system).
               A natural tree forest system has a forest oor of detritis for saprophytic and mycorrhizzal
               funghi ecology to thrive in (a forest lives on a fallen forest). We can emulate and speed up
               this process by including more biodiversity in tree systems and focus on building the
               forest oor with detritis.

               By adding pig tractors between the existing orchard rows, followed by chicken tractors,
               we introduce more biodiversity in this system. Once chickens have prepared that area, it
               can be planted out with a diverse green manure mix to improve biodiversity and
               regenerate soil fungal and bacterial activity. We would suggest chipping excess tree
               material from the site and adding the chip around the fruit trees to create a more fungal
               environment for the fruit trees, as trees thrive on a fungal environment rather than the
               bacterial environment generated by grass. We would also recommend interspersing the
               citrus trees with other productive trees and nitrogen xing trees to improve biodiversity
               and regenerative capacity of the soil. Trees such as macadamias, avocado, persimmon,
               co ee and other productive trees will improve productivity as well as create a more
               biodiverse environment. Trees such as pigeon pea, cassia and icecream bean are
               nitrogen xers which improve the growing capacity of the productive trees.
               Improving the biodiversity will improve ecology, thus creating a more natural and
               productive ecological system.

               By introducing growing systems such as Syntropic Farming, a focus will be on
               biodiversity as this natural creation of biomass will improve soil nutrients quickly. A
               biodiverse environment to grow food in will mean better nutritional value of the food as
               the biomass will create a healthier soil environment and thus healthier food.
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Sustainable Agricultural Practices

In order to follow sustainable Agricultural Practices we recommend the cycling of natural
materials onsite and following best practice management for Agriculture. Any clippings,
tree branches and other organic waste can be chipped and added underneath existing
food production tree systems or can be further composted with the help of other
biological resources like chickens.
A properly designed permaculture system will not need any external inputs, and healthy
and rich compost can be produced onsite.

We recommend three main chicken systems; one is the Integrated Chicken Composting
System above the Syntropic Market Garden; one follows the cattle in their grazing
paddocks; and one follows the pig tractors in the existing orchards.
We recommend the chickens following the cattle to have roosters and be allowed to
breed for succession. The chickens above the Syntropic Market Garden and the chickens
following the pig tractors will not need any roosters (to eliminate any noise pollution).
The Integrated Chicken Compost System helps with compost making so that there will be
rich compost available for the nursery and the market garden, and as it is above the main
system any nutrient run o will go directly into the market garden via a swale harvesting
the nutrients.

We recommend that the groups attending the site are educated on separating food
scraps so that there is a bin with meat scraps and a bin with vegetable scraps. The
vegetable scraps can be used to feed the chickens, whereas the meat scraps can be
processed by making biochar. The biochar can be made in the nursery compost area and
can then be added to compost. The pathogens of the meat scraps are neutralised by the
no-oxygen burn method of biochar making, and the biochar can then be added to
compost or directly under fruit trees.

As these methodologies provide a closed cycle, the site will be completely sustainable in
its food production, not needing to purchase any external inputs to grow their food.
At a later stage seed saving areas can be appointed in order to save seed to grow their
own vegetable seedlings.

We recommend that the cow paddocks are divided into 11 grazing paddocks to ensure
rotational grazing or holistic grazing management practices (see image A). The cows will
need to be in each paddock for 4 days, giving each paddock 40 days of rest. The rest
period is the most important aspect of rotational grazing, as this period ensures the
paddocks can regenerate and regrow. We recommend permanent electric fencing for
these paddocks. This is based on an initial stocking rate of 25 cows, however with re-
establishment and improvement of paddocks due to the rotational grazing methods, this
stocking rate will increase over time.
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IMAGE A -
Cattle paddocks, yards, watertanks and large composting area

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     Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience

     As the site aims to produce most if not all of its own food, this will substantially reduce
     emissions and resource consumption. The food is not needed to be driven to the site,
     minimal refridgeration is required as food can be harvested on an as needed basis, and
     any waste can be composted onsite to generate more food.

     The mediums used to grow the food is produced onsite as well, thus minimising the
      nancial and environmental cost of imported fertilisers and other growing agents. As the
     site will be growing substantial amounts of food, any excess food beyond the needs of
     the site can possibly be provided to the local community. This will then help the local
     community become more food resilient.

     The suggested permaculture practices will mean more biodiversity on the site, which will
     help with passive cooling onsite. As the proposed systems have di erent heights and
     layers, there will be an improved cooling e ect.

     We suggest permaculture designed areas around the proposed villages, thus helping with
     passive cooling and reducing the need for airconditioning systems. By strategically
     placing diverse layers of trees, shrubs, bushes and other productive plants we can ensure
     the sun will warm the area in winter and cools it in summer. This will help reduce
     emissions and resource consumption by implementing good design.
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Natural environment management

By implementing erosion strategies with minor earthworks (eg swales) and by working on
contour, we aim to improve resilience to climate change and to adhere to the climate
change response plan.

As we have seen in 2022, larger weather events are becoming more common. We need to
ensure the systems on the site are designed to prevent erosion and nutrient run o . By
working on contour (paths and walkways on contour, animal movements on contour etc),
we can ensure minimal erosion. We propose to re-purpose grassed areas to create
market gardens and animal areas to minimise impact on existing vegetation.

Permaculture works within the natural environment and aims to accellerate succession
and evolution. We will always design to improve the natural environment and to make it
permanently productive without interfering negatively with other natural systems.




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          Syntropic System

          We recommend a Syntropic Market Garden system to produce the bulk of the produce for
          the CYC site. This approach is based on the syntropic farming method, developed by
          Swiss-Brazilian scientist Ernst Gotsch in Brazil. This regenerative agricultural method can
          regenerate ecosystems in a third of the time it would regenerate unassisted while
          simultaneously growing food, restoring soil fertility and ghting climate change.

          We recommend this system to be set up on the location as marked on Image B, and for
          the rows to be implemented on contour approximately from north to south.
          The system will consist of several tree lines with productive tree systems, with vegetable
          rows in between. The area needed for consistent food production for 300 plus people is
          around 3,500m2.
          As this system is highly and consistently productive, we would envision this system to
          produce enough food to provide any excess to the local community, thus ensuring more
          local food resilience in the immediate and greater area.

          The tree rows of the system are essential biomass producers. The tree rows are pruned
          regularly and its biomass is dropped into the existing system on the paths. This has a
          twofold e ect: the biomass breaks down in the paths thus creating more organic matter,
          and the trees when pruned release a growth hormone through their roots which stimulates
          the growth of the vegetables.

          The trees in the tree rows are diverse. We highly recommend having a minimum of 8
          di erent species in the tree rows, as this has been found to be a magic number in mutual
          support and improvement of productivity.
          The vegetable rows are recommended to be diverse as well, but can have sections
          planted with one of two species for ease of harvest.

          Some of the recommended species for the tree rows:
          Bananas, silky oak, co ee, comfrey, Brazilian Spinach, Surinam Spinach, Cassava,
          pomegranate, sun owers, pigeon pea, popcorn cassia, clover.

                                                    In the vegetable rows any vegetables can be
                                                    planted depending on season, keeping in mind
                                                    that winter is the best growing season for
                                                    temperate “European style” vegetables in our
                                                    sub-tropical climate.
                                                    We also recommend that perennial sub-tropical
                                                    vegetables are planted in among the existing
                                                    orchards to ensure that there is a continuing
                                                    supply of food in the warmer months.

                                                   Staple sub-tropical carbohydrate foods such as
                                                   cassava, yam, taro, sweet potato, arrowroot
                                                   and pumpkins will need a separate area and we
                                                   would suggest extending the syntropic area to
                                                  include the staples and including staples in the
          orchard area. These need a longer growing time than other vegetables, but can be
          processed into our when harvested, thus replacing the need for grains which are
          challenging to grow in our climate.
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Image B - Syntropic market garden
Swales are above and below the Syntropic Market Garden (indicated in brown). The
function of a swale is to harvest and spread water and nutrient.
The swale above spreads the nutrient coming from the Integrated Chicken Compost
System, the vetiver grass planted on the mound biologically processes the nutrient before
it reaches the Syntropic Market Garden.
The swale below harvests the excess nutrient bleeding from the Syntropic Market Garden
and uses it productively by producing bananas on the swale mound.

Integrated Chicken Compost System is located above the Syntropic Market Garden as
well as the nursery.




The size of this system was determined as follows:

320 people @ 100gr vegetables per meal x 2 meals per day = 64kg of vegetables per day needed = 448kg per
week

1 syntropic garden bed (1.1m x 20m) produces approximately 284kg of vegetables over 3 months. 1 section
(see below) has 3 beds. One section produces 852kg over 3 months which equals 65kg/week per section.

In a Syntropic system 60% of the system is productive at any one time. 60% of 20 sections is 12 sections
productive at any one time. 12 sections x 65kg per week = 780kg / week. We count on a 70% recovery rate
after processing the veggies (peeling, cooking etc). 70% of 780kg = 564kg per week harvested. This means
there could be an excess of over 100kg of vegetables per week from this size system.

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     Image C - Division of Syntropic Market garden beds in 20 meter rows.

     The Syntropic Market Garden consists of 5 sections next to each other and 4
     rows long, a total of approximately 44m x 80m.
     One section (pictured below) is 8.8m wide and 20m long.
     The total area of the Syntropic initially will be 3,520m2. The Syntropic area
     will be easy to expand if required, either by adding sections or rows.

     We recommend planting vegetable seedlings in 2 sections per month (a total
     of 4,240 seedlings). These will be diverse seedlings eg. Chinese Greens,
     Cauli ower, Broccoli, Silverbeet, Lettuce, Endive, Zucchini, other squashes,
     herbs etc (season dependent). The Syntropic system works with a diverse
     selection of vegetables in each bed, with the vegetables that take longer to
     grow in the middle, and working outwards to vegetables that grow the
     quickest. This means that the outside vegetables will be harvested rst,
     creating space for the vegetables that take longer to grow.
     It is a biologically intensive system and is capable of producing large
     quantities of food with good management, hence there is an ongoing yield
     from each bed from around 4 weeks after planting until the slowest growing
     vegetables are harvested (3 months). Yield from this system is continuous
     rather than intermittent.
     Most vegetables are cut rather than pulled out of the ground to minimise soil
     disturbance. The tree and biomass rows help “feed” the vegetable rows.

     Larger carbohydrate rich foods we recommend planting in orchard areas and
     by extending the Syntropic system (adding more sections).
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Regenerative Cattle Grazing Management

We recommend dividing the existing cattle grazing area into 11 paddocks for regenerative
grazing management purposes, using best practice management for grazing. The
paddocks are between 2.2Ha and 2.6Ha each and can initially graze 25 head of cattle for
4 days in each paddock. The herd will need to be moved every 4 days to allow for 40
days rest of each paddock. The rest period will allow the paddock to regenerate and the
feed to become richer and thicker. Once the paddocks start producing more feed due to
this management, the herd can be increased.
We recommend the use of permanent electric fencing (solar powered) to divide up these
paddocks.

In discussion with Neil Owers from CYC, the cattle yards will be moved from the
Northwest corner to the Southeast corner to enable easier truck access. Currently trucks
access the cattle yard via the neighbour’s property, the change of yard location will enable
trucks to access the yards via the CYC site itself.

Close to the new location of the cattle yard will be the large composting area where large
material can be chipped and cow manure from the cattle yards can be added to compost.
The only issue we have with this location is the excess nutrient bleeding into the forest
system rather than being captured to be used in productive systems. However we can
see the logic in the location.
We can mitigate the nutrient bleed to lessen the environmental impact to the existing
forest by putting in a management system to harvest and manage it. For example a swale
system with nutrient harvesting plants like vetiver grass, which can in turn be used in the
composting system.

We have included 4 water tanks in the design which will be supplied by an existing
irrigation system from the dam. These tanks will then distribute water to troughs in each
paddock.

To make the spreading of cow manure more e cient, we propose a chicken tractor is run
in each paddock following the cows. The chickens will scratch the soil and distribute the
cow manure. The chickens will only be in each paddock 4 days following the cows, to
ensure maximum rest time in each paddock. Adding chickens adds diversity and is
shown to improve and add plant species.
These chickens can be egg layers and roosters can be run with these chickens to ensure
succession. There will be minimum noise pollution from the roosters to the villages as the
distance to the villages are substantial.
Regenerative cattle grazing management has had some incredible results with cattle
stations seeing the return of native grasses not seen in the area for decades. Productivity
is improved due to the improvement of soil quality and hence grass quality and quantity.
Depending on location and requirements, a rest period of between 30 and 90 days for
paddocks is recommended. It is possible to add geese and ducks to the chicken tractor
as well, which adds another element of biodiversity into the system.
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Composting areas and methodology, reducing waste to land ll

All organic matter is made up of substantial amounts of carbon (C) combined with lesser
amounts of nitrogen (N). The balance of these two elements in an organism is called the
carbon-to-nitrogen ratio (C:N ratio). For best performance, the compost pile, or more to
the point the composting microorganisms, require the correct proportion of carbon for
energy and nitrogen for protein production. Scientists (yes, there are compost scientists)
have determined that the fastest way to produce fertile, sweet-smelling compost is to
maintain a C:N ratio somewhere around 25 to 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen, or
25-30:1. If the C:N ratio is too high (excess carbon), decomposition slows down. If the
C:N ratio is too low (excess nitrogen) you will end up with a stinky pile.

We propose a number of composting areas onsite:

Large composting area:
The large composting area is located in the Southwest corner of the cattle grazing
system. This is where larger tree material can be chipped, cow manure can be added
from the nearby cattle yards and composted. This compost can then be transported to
the smaller composting areas or go directly under fruit trees or other food growing
systems.

Integrated Chicken Composting area:
We propose an Integrated Chicken Composting area located above the Syntropic Market
Garden. This will be an Integrated Chicken Compost system, with vegetable scraps, hay,
manure, woodchip and other carbon and nitrogen sources from the site added to be
composted by the chickens, reducing green waste to land ll and cycling nutrients onsite.
The compost will be made by the chickens scratching the material, as well as people
shovelling the material into piles to heat. This material will then be used as compost for
the market garden below this system.

Nursery composting area:
We propose the nursery is located where the old chicken coop was (see roofed area on
Image B above). As part of the nursery there will be a composting area where material
from the chicken composting area and the large composting area will be deposited for
further composting. This compost will then be further processed and other materials
added to re ne it for potting mixes in the nursery.
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Chicken systems

Chickens are incredible biological resources: they scratch, they add and distribute
manure, they convert scraps into eggs and meat and they are routine based creatures.
We propose a number of chicken systems on the site following best Agricultural
Practices:

Large chicken system following the cows
We propose a large mobile chicken tractor following the cows in the paddocks to spread
cow manure. The mobile chicken tractor will be inside a moveable electric mesh fence.
The chickens can be egg layers and we recommend to add roosters (1 per 7-8 chickens)
in order to ensure succession. Suggested stocking rate is 50 chickens per acre as per
“Poultry Breeding and Management” by professor James Dryden (written in 1916, pre-
dates industrial agricultural methods, and may be the most scienti cally grounded book
for the pastured poultry farmer). Other systems like Joel Salatin’s rotational grazing
system recommend up to 500 chickens per acre, but we suggest to start with 50 per acre
and to build the ock if deemed appropriate and bene cial to the land.
Meat chickens as well as egg layers can be run as part of this system. Meat chickens
need less exercise than egg layers and are able to be run in a smaller area.

Chicken system above the Syntropic Market Garden
A smaller Integrated Chicken Compost System can function as an e ective compost
creator above the Syntropic Market Garden. There will be no roosters so as to prevent
sound pollution.

Chicken tractors following the Pig Tractors
We recommend smaller chicken tractors following any pig tractors in order to decrease
the time of active pathogens after pig activity. These chickens can be egg layers without
any roosters so as to prevent any sound pollution.
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Pig systems

The existing orchards are monoculture orchards and do not have enough biodiversity,
biomass production and healthy ecology to be a long term sustainable system. Currently
external inputs are required to keep these trees productive.
We recommend pig tractors running between the existing orchard rows. Pigs will prepare
and fertilise the soil between the existing orchard rows. Chicken systems can follow the
pigs to prevent long term pathogen issues. After the chickens have prepared the soil and
composted the pig manure, the area can be planted out with a diverse green manure mix
to add biodiversity to this area. This mix can be harvested for the pigs, chickens or
chopped and dropped under the fruit trees.
Staple carbohydrates can also be planted in this system, possibly after chopping and
dropping the green manure.
We recommend the pigs are moved regularly eg. every one or two days to ensure they
prepare and stimulate the soil but do not do any damage to the soil.

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Improving existing orchards

The pig and chicken tractor system as mentioned above will eliminate the need for
external inputs such as fertilizer etc. for the existing orchards. We also recommend other
species of productive trees to be added to that area to improve biodiversity. Persimmons,
custard apple, avocado, bananas, co ee, acerola cherries are some examples of added
biodiversity. We also recommend planting more perennial greens such as comfrey,
Surinam Spinach, Ceylon Spinach and Brazilian Spinach as understory in that area to
ensure a more diverse ground cover is created, as well as nitrogen xing plants like for
example pigeon pea and icecream bean. Icecream bean is also an amazing biomass
producer which will enable a continuing production of woodchip for use in the Syntropic
Market Garden and in the composting systems. A natural sub-tropical system functions
around the cycle of biomass.
Staple carbohydrates can also be planted in this area eg. Cassava, Pumpkin, Potato and
Sweet Potato, as well as a variety of Yam. This planting can occur in the tree rows and in
between the rows following the chopping and dropping of the green manure, which has
left enough time after the pigs and chickens have gone through to be able to plant into
that space.
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Permaculture systems around the villages onsite

With permaculture design around the villages we can decrease the need for heating and
cooling in the buildings and provide an aesthetically pleasing productive environment
which is functional and helps with climate change resilience and mitigation.
We can design productive areas on the site where now expensive machines and fossil
fuels are required for maintenance. For example diverse nut tree systems will create
biodiverse productive niches onsite and decrease the need for machinery.
We will be able to create these designs once the village designs and plans are in place.

(Image for illustration purposes only)

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          References and links

          What is Permaculture?
          https://www.permaculturenews.org/what-is-permaculture/

          Introduction to Syntropic Farming
          https://www.microfarmguide.com/syntropic-farming/

          Bene ts of pig tractors
          https://www.permaculturenews.org/2011/01/28/pig-tractors/

          Bene ts of chicken tractors
          https://www.permaculturenews.org/2017/08/03/chicken-tractors-sustainable-poultry/

          Short explanation of the Integrated Chicken Compost System (or “Chicken Tractor
          on Steroids”)

          Watch on Youtube: watch?v=HKnP6kW9DFw

          De nition of Regenerative Agriculture
          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regenerative_agriculture

          Poultry breeding and management
          https://archive.org/details/poultrybreedingm00drydrich/page/n5/mode/2up

          What is Biochar
          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biochar

          Carbon to Nitrogen ratio
          https://www.planetnatural.com/composting-101/making/c-n-ratio/

          https://www.permaculturenews.org/2018/04/16/common-composting-problems-
          solutions-beginning-composter/

          https://www.agriculture.com/crops/cover-crops/heres-why-carbonnitrogen-ratio-
          matters_568-ar48014

          More resources:

          https://permeco.org
          https://permaculturenews.org


          Permeco Contact Details:

          Tom Kendall & Zaia Kendall
          Ph: 0444 522 374
          Em: [email protected]
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