|
Commenced:
|
01/01/2007 |
|---|---|
|
Submitted:
|
26/01/2011 |
|
Last updated:
|
19/09/2016 |
|
Location:
|
107 Redfern St , Sydney + Surrounds, NSW, AU |
|
Phone:
|
+61 2 5300 4437 |
|
Website:
|
http://www.Milkwood.net |
|
Climate zone:
|
Mediterranean |
(projects i'm involved in)
Project: Milkwood
Posted by Kirsten Bradley almost 13 years ago
We
were rather impressed with Joel Salatin when he came to Australia last
year. So were one or two other people. Aside from being the most
entertaining farmer that we’ve ever met, he’s really onto something.
Multiple somethings, even.
To call the Salatin’s farming practices at Polyface Farms in Virginia USA ‘innovative’ is a bit of a massive understatement. Joel’s unique approach to productive small-scale farming, that focuses on great ideas, biomimicry, and what can only be called truly regenerative agriculture, are fast becoming legendary.
Feathernet chicken house at PolyFace Farm (used over summer months)
Take the Polyface Pastured Poultry systems, for example. These are home-made systems, built up over time as funds and materials allow, to produce free-range eggs (in the feathernet system) and pastured broilers (in the chicken tractor system).
In the feathernet system, the chickens are free to roam during the day, and protected in their portable hutches at night by shepherd dogs, in a setup moved every three days. Uh huh, you say – i’ve heard of that one before. The broilers are in a chicken tractor system – enclosed cages moved daily. Yup, you say. Heard of that one too.
The thing is, this is considered by many to be the farm that launched the pastured poultry movement as we know it today – the Salatin’s virtually wrote the book on it.
But here’s what really sets the polyface model apart: the incredible production of the above systems (the feathernet system currently produces over 40,000 eggs a year), the design of the systems (simple but designed to minimize energy inputs, including labor) and how they are integrated into all the other animal systems of the farm to reduce disease and increase fertility.
Saladbar beef system at Polyface, munching its way across the landscape
Forested Polyface Farm pigs doing their free-range piggy thing...
While I won’t launch into a full description of Polyface’s Salad-Bar Beef system (holistically managed beef herds which are followed by the feathernet system to break down the manure) or their pigerator pork system (forested foraging herds of pigs which are moved about at a rate that stimulates the seedbank in the forest floor, increasing diversity for the next round), I will say that Polyfaces techniques are exciting to anyone wanting to run a seriously productive and ‘beyond organic’ small farm.
On top of Joel’s many how-to books which outline PolyFace’s techniques in detail, and which have seen a huge uptake of Polyface-esque techniques worldwide, there’s the marketing side of things. How to get your fabulous eggs, your beef, your cheese, your whatever, to the buyer in such a way that your farm actually makes a profit, and henceforth allows you to keep farming?
Polyface’s processing and marketing techniques are at the heart of the re-localised food movement – and they work: Process as close to home as possible. Sell as close to home as possible. Know your customers. Set up buying clubs. Set up systems that cut out the supermarket chains and keeps you, the farmer, in touch with the people doing the eating.
We’re not just talking taking your produce to farmers markets here, far from it – this is next-level stuff. Polyface is an example of a pioneering, ethical small farm that is breaking boundaries around how farmers can deliver nutritionally dense food to dedicated, involved consumers.
But wait, there’s more! Polyface has a really smart intern system, with whose labor they fuel their production. Wanna-be farmers come in, confident farmers come out. And the farm in the middle gets the crew it needs to function.
Joel Salatin in a feathernet system
Needless to day, when Joel Salatin dropped all this knowledge (and more) into the workshops he did across Australia last year, it was like a bomb going off. I have never seen so many people in the one room so freaking excited about farming. And some of them were already farmers! And some (like us) were not, and didn’t intend to be. Not until Joel Salatin came along, anyway.
So you may possibly be nearly excited as I am to hear that Joel Salatin is coming back for another series of short workshops this year, as part of RegenAG’s 2011 course series.
If you’re a farmer, or think you might like to be a farmer one day, I would highly recommend coming along:
>> Joel Salatin NSW Workshop: 2nd August: Jamberoo (we’re running this one!)
>> Joel Salatin FNQLD Workshop: 4th August: Townsville
>> Joel Salatin SEQLD Workshop: 5th August
>> Joel Salatin VIC Workshop: 6th August: Ceres, Melbourne
You can get more info on these workshops and book in via RegenAG.com
You must be logged in to comment.
Note: The various badges displayed in people profiles are largely honesty-based self-proclamations by the individuals themselves. There are reporting functions users can use if they know of blatant misrepresentation (for both people and projects). Legitimacy, competency and reputation for all people and projects can be evidenced and/or developed through their providing regular updates on permaculture work they’re involved in, before/after photographs, etc. A spirit of objective nurturing of both people and projects through knowledge/encouragement/inspiration/resource sharing is the aim of the Worldwide Permaculture Network.
 |
MemberA member is a permaculturist who has never taken a PDC course. These cannot become PDC teachers. Members may be novice or highly experienced permaculturists or anywhere in between. Watch their updates for evaluation. |
|---|---|
  |
Permaculture MatchmakerOne of these badges will show if you select your gender and the "I'm single, looking for a permaculture partner" option in your profile. |
 |
PDCPeople who claim to have taken a Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course somewhere in the world. |
 |
PDC VerifiedPeople who have entered an email address for the teacher of their PDC course, and have had their PDC status verified by that teacher. Watch their updates for evaluation. |
 |
PRI PDCPeople who’ve taken a Permaculture Research Institute PDC somewhere in the world. |
 |
PDC TeacherPeople who claim to teach some version of PDC somewhere in the world. |
 |
PRI TeacherWith the exception of the ‘Member’ who has never taken a PDC, all of the above can apply to become a PRI PDC Teacher. PRI PDC Teachers are those who the PRI recognise, through a vetting board, as determined and competent to teach the full 72-hour course as developed by Permaculture founder Bill Mollison – covering all the topics of The Designers’ Manual as well as possible (i.e. not cherry picking only aspects the teacher feels most interested or competent in). Such teachers also commit to focussing on the design science, and not including subjective spiritual/metaphysical elements. The reason these items are not included in the PDC curriculum is because they are “belief” based. Permaculture Design education concerns itself with teaching good design based on strategies and techniques which are scientifically provable. PRI PDC Teachers may be given teaching and/or consultancy offerings as they become available as the network grows. |
 |
Aid WorkerThe individual with this badge is indicating they are, have, or would like to be involved in permaculture aid work. As such, the individual may or may not have permaculture aid worker experience. Watch their updates for evaluation. |
 |
ConsultantThe individual with this badge is indicating they are, have, or would like to do paid permaculture design consultancy work. As such, the individual may or may not have permaculture consultancy experience. Watch their updates for evaluation. |
|
Community ProjectCommunity projects are projects that help develop sustainable community interaction and increase localised resiliency. |
