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Our property is 4ha (10 acres) situated at the base of Mt Taranaki – 18km from New Plymouth, close to walks and mountain access. We bought the sloping grass paddock in February 2005, and have been developing it ever since to a permaculture design which is in constant change.
We are off the grid and our renewable energy system consists of a water turbine, solar panels, and solar hot water heating. We collect our drinking water from the roof and collect water runoff from the property into a lake and pump it up to a holding tank for gravity fed irrigation to the garden.
We are currently building a macrocarpa (pine) house from locally felled and milled wood, with recycled windows and doors, which we hope to complete early 2011, which will contain a teaching room and studio. We also have accommodation in a bach as well as a small cabin by the lake.
This is a self-sufficient organic property growing vegetables, fruit and meat for the household, and has extensive gardens and orchards planted over the past few years. We have also planted over 2,000 native, timber, coppice and timber trees, as well as setting up a native tree and permaculture plant nursery. We usually plant an additional 400 trees a year.
Our menagerie consists of ducks (pest control), chooks (eggs, gardening), sheep (meat), cows (meat and milk), Rocket the cat and Bella the dog.
We are certified organic through Organic Farm New Zealand (OFNZ), and follow permaculture and biodynamic principles and practices.
