THREE years ago, Nick Huggins, chairman of Canberra’s new Permaculture eXchange, says he had a “penny drop” moment when he realised his successful landscaping business wasn’t fulfilling him anymore.

“While travelling around the country, I saw first hand the land degradation problems caused by industrial farming,” says Nick. “It was a confronting moment, definitely.

“It spurred me into action, and I became interested in permaculture; ethical food production that has a positive effect on the landscape.”

He’s teamed up with a group of local permaculture experts – Martyn and Yvonne Noakes, Penny Kothe and Colin McLean – to form the Permaculture eXchange, which will offer courses including the Permaculture Design Certificate, Introduction to Permaculture, Forest Gardens, Urban Permaculture, Earthworks and Natural Beekeeping.

“We wanted to fill a gap in Canberra, to improve education in this area and bring like-minded people together,” says Nick.

Permaculture, or permanent agriculture, was devised by Aussies Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970s, and refers to a productive environment designed to mimic the balance found in nature.

“It includes the house and the whole landscape, with a focus on minimising waste and energy input,” he says.

Nick says that in Canberra the courses will be held at Lanyon Homestead, where there are the bones of an old garden to learn from. Students will be encouraged to bring a plan of their own garden and work on redesigning it.

“People can swap seeds, resources and ideas,” he says. “Not everyone can grow everything they need, so sharing produce is wonderful.

“Even if it’s just a hobby, it’s good for people to get outside. So many people work on computers all day.

“We want people to know that they can start small, and work with what they have. You can create a mini permaculture garden on your balcony.”

In permaculture, food production is done in such a way that it repairs the soil and makes it more fertile, says Nick.

“For example, every plant should have at least three functions, such as providing shade and food, attracting bees and looking pretty,” he says.

“With industrial farming, the soil is essentially mined of nutrients, which then leads to the introduction of chemical fertilisers to promote plant growth.

“We’re interested in regeneration, more so than sustainability. Sustainability is treading water. Regeneration is about the future, planting the seeds for the next stage.

“It’s all done in nature, we just have to go back to that.”

More information at permacultureeXchange.org.au