Short courses & workshops

Learn practical skills and knowledge for sustainable living and self reliance through our Workshops and Short Courses. We also offer the residential 2-3 week Permaculture Design Course and short 4-7 day intensive advanced courses for professional development (PD) for the serious permaculture designer, teacher and activist. Our faculty of highly experienced trainers deliver some of these programs elsewhere in the Northern Rivers and overseas. Please contact us if you are interested in hosting a workshop in your area.

2019 Short Course Program

April 13, 2019 DIY Soap Making & Natural Cleaning Workshop with Robyn Francis. Learn how to make lovely natural soaps and a range of natural cleaning products for the home and personal hygiene. Get some sample to take home.

April 16 (Tue 9-12.30) Planning a Year-round Food Supply Learn how to develop a seasonal planning and harvest schedule to have fresh food from your garden throughout the year. Teacher: Robyn Francis.   E/B $55   Full : $65

April 16 (Tue 1.30-5pm) Compost, Compost Teas & Biochar Activation Learn how to make different types of compost, rapid compost, fungal compost, how to brew aerobic compost teas and activate biochar for soil improvement. Teacher: Robyn Francis   E/B $55   Full : $65

May 1 (Wed 9-3)  Apothecary Gardens and Herbs in Permaculture  Explore ways to integrate herbs into your garden landscape and create an Apothecary Garden plus traditional uses of weeds and garden herbs for first aid and home remedies. Learn how to make your own herbal salves & ointments. Teacher: Robyn Francis  E/B $85 Full: $99

May 7-8 (Tue 9-5 + Wed 9-3) Tropical Tubers Garden-to-Table This 2 day  workshop covers a diverse range of tubers and perennial tropical vegetables, how to propagate. grow and harvest and ways to store, prepare and process them. Learn how to make four from arrowroot and cassava, processing turmeric. Day two we will cook up a lunchtime feast to taste-test some delicious ways to cook cassava, taro, Jerusalem artichokes and other unusual vegetables.   E/B Fee $175   Full : $195

May 14-15 (Tue 9-5 + Wed 9-3) Preserving the Harvest   A 2-day hands-on course introduces the many methods and techniques to naturally preserve your harvest. Learn essential food safety and sterilising without chemicals. We will make conserves, pickles, ferments, bottling and a simple curd cheese. On the Wednesday we will have a lunch featuring products we have made. Teachers: Melian Fertl & Robyn Francis   E/B Fee $175   Full: $195

June 8 OPEN DAY Saturday 10.30-3.30 The 19th Djanbung Gardens Annual Open Day with short workshops, tours, displays, presentations, plants and crafts for sale, cafe open. Entry by donation

July 6-20, 2019 Permaculture Design Course (PDC)  the classic certified PDC originally developed by founder Bill Mollison brought up-to-date with the latest earth sciences, regenerative design and social innovations. Intensive residential course includes full catering & free camping on site. Teachers: Robyn Francis, Janelle Schafer, Annaliese Hordern, Guy Stewart and Angela Skehan

August 10-11, 2019  Forgotten Arts Fair Two days of workshops, demonstrations, displays and stalls showcasing diverse traditional skills and almost forgotten trades.

August 13-22, 2019  Growing Abundance – Organic Gardening -Spring. This 6-day course held 3 days/week for 2 weeks with classes Tues (9-5), Wed (9-3) and Thurs (9-5).  Learn the full process of planning and growing an abundance of fresh food all year round, basic botany for gardeners, seed saving, natural pest management, organic certification and more. Teachers: Robyn Francis and Angela Skehan

Sep 7-8, 2019  Bamboo Essentials – Learn about clump management, when and how to harvest, treating bamboo for borer beetles, curing and storage, use of tools and basic techniques for cutting, splitting and lashing with Julianne Hartmann and Robyn Francis.

Sept 31 (Saturday 10-4) Tropical Tubers Garden-to-Table  This workshop covers a diverse range of tubers and perennial tropical vegetables, how to propagate. grow and harvest and ways to store, prepare and process them. Learn how to make four from arrowroot and cassava, processing turmeric. Includes lunch and tasting some of these great tropical vegetables                   E/B Fee $75   Full : $95

November 1-17, 2019 PDC-PLUS Extended Permaculture Design Course This extended 17-day PDC-PLUS includes the classic certified PDC originally developed by founder Bill Mollison brought up-to-date with the latest earth sciences, regenerative design and social innovations. Plus this extended course includes additional topics, special excursions to local permaculture projects and extra practical sessions. Intensive residential course includes full catering & free camping on site. Teachers: Robyn Francis, Janelle Schafer, Annaliese Hordern, Guy Stewart and Angela Skehan

December 1-7  Permaculture Aid and Community Empowerment  Seven-day intensive course for anyone working with disadvantaged communities in Australia and overseas. Focus is on partnering with communities to find solutions using local resources to address essential needs of food and water security, health, housing, and appropriate technology. We will explore strategies for resilience in a changing climate and community disaster management. Course fee includes partial catering & free camping on site. Trainer: Robyn Francis and guests. Participants are invited to stay on for an extra week of practical gardening with tropical crops.

To Register: pay online or  Contact us

Overseas courses with Robyn Francis in 2019:
PDC in Shenzhen, China Oct 1-15

Course dates to be confirmed for 2019

Creative Community Facilitation – a Social Permaculture Master Class with Robyn Francis, learn about the power of participatory community action, facilitation processes, planning your project and working with human & cultural diversity

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