2024-02-19 21:15
So, how to compost dog poop? Composting your pet’s poop at home is an excellent way to create even more nutrient-rich fertiliser for your garden soil, super-charging everything you gro… Read More
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Milkwood is dedicated to teaching permaculture stuff. We share practical skills and knowledge that help you live ethically, abundantly and deeply hands-on.
2024-01-22 18:48
Cafe au Lait dahlias, – pic by Veggie & Flower Garden Seeds
We all know that dahlias are delicious to the eye and the heart, but also – great news! Dahlias (Acocoxochitl)… Read More
2023-12-05 22:45
melukerdee country, Randalls Bay, lutruwita Tasmania
Alrighty – Habits for Hope, here we go (what is this? Go here to learn more about the series)…
Let’s start with… Read More
2023-11-27 02:04
I’m going to start off here with an extract from the intro section of our latest book The Milkwood Permaculture Living Handbook – I’ll explain why later – let’s… Read More
2023-09-19 04:43
Growing mushrooms at home in a hot summer is entirely possible, and it can actually increase your household and backyard resilience (and nutrition!) in all kinds of ways – it’s a… Read More
2023-08-21 22:40
We’re taking The Milkwood Permaculture Living Handbook on the road! Just a little bit. If there’s a location near you, I’d love to see you there.
We’re also cooki… Read More
2023-08-14 21:35
“The Milkwood Permaculture Living Handbook is a guide to improving your home, health and happiness – and the planet – one simple step at a time.
Packed with meaningful… Read More
2023-08-03 04:51
Welcome to the first year of our garden, in which we transformed our backyard from a grassy slope into a terraced land of veggies, fruit trees, berries and chickens, with so many flowers in… Read More
2023-07-04 01:14
Fi’s kitchen garden, Tharawal country / GerringongAt its heart, The Milkwood Permaculture Living Handbook is about helping you cultivate habits for living with meaningful connection an… Read More
2023-06-18 20:00
Winter is a great time of year to welcome new strains of tasty mushrooms into your backyard. You can even gather some edible species from around your local ‘hood, and then multiply the… Read More
2023-06-06 03:50
We cannot help transform a world that does not know us – audioIn a few short months, our next book will come out – The Milkwood Permaculture Living Handbook. It’s a boo… Read More
2023-05-21 17:16
So – you’re keen to kickstart your household towards resilience, and start making it a Real Thing – but where do you start? What will actually make a differen… Read More
2023-05-02 06:12
“Active Hope is about being active participants in bringing about what we hoped for. Active hope is a practice. It is something we do, rather than have. It is a process we can apply in… Read More
2023-03-21 04:33
There’s SO many awesome mushrooms out there to learn to grow – so where do you start? We thought it’s high time we shared our 10 Best Mushrooms to Grow at Home, for beginne… Read More
2022-12-12 02:04
Growing your own food is one of the most life-affirming things you can do AND you get to eat delicious veggies as a result. And it’s totally possible, even if you live in a small space… Read More
2022-11-07 07:00
Getting your seed-raising mix just right is super important for growing strong seedlings, which in turn become strong plants that produce mountains of edible deliciousness for you.
While… Read More
2022-10-23 22:31
A wild food map is a simple way to identify and keep track of all the places where edible weeds, feral fruit, medicinal mushrooms and other yum things grow in your local area – so that… Read More
2022-10-09 22:39
So you’ve heard about permaculture living and reckon it sounds great, but aren’t quite sure how to get started while you’re living in a rental? Today, Anna Matilda from The… Read More
2022-09-18 22:30
Garlicky, tangy and a bit sour – probiotic pickled mushrooms are so delish!
Here’s two easy recipes to make them at home, using the basic biological pickling method of lacto-f… Read More
2022-08-17 07:01
Last year, Peter Owen unintentionally set himself a challenge: could he furnish his home using discarded flotsam found within his local urban ‘forest’ – the streets and lan… Read More
2022-07-26 08:00
So – you’ve heard of permaculture, but aren’t quite sure what it all means or where to begin?
We’ll get you started, with this free guide that outlines seven excel… Read More
2022-07-04 00:55
Over the years, we’ve lived in a few off-grid houses in cold climates. And in these houses, we relied on wood energy to warm our house, cook our food AND heat our hot water – on… Read More
2022-06-21 01:50
Welcome to the Milkwood Book Club – the cosiest place on the internet. A sunny spot to curl up in with a really great book and learn a heap of new climate-positive skills while you&rsq&hell…Read More
2022-06-20 03:03
Growing mushrooms on logs is something we’d LOVE to see in many more backyards – for all the good reasons.
Growing mushrooms on logs will increase your household resilience … Read More
2022-05-15 23:00
Each year, Laurie Green’s family saves about $2,500 on groceries – by being part of a network of gardeners who regularly exchange their homegrown fruit and vegetables, all fo… Read More
2022-05-03 01:51
Learning how to compost at home is so good for your garden, your soil, the veggies you’ll grow – and the health of our planet.
And you can set up a compost system in almo… Read More
2022-04-11 00:39
So, thinking about growing your own mushrooms? Great! There are many ways to grow delicious mushrooms at home – AND, despite what you might have heard, you can do it all without single… Read More
2022-02-13 22:00
Simon Toohey is a household name to certain food-loving Australians – for the past few years, the celebrity chef has graced our televisions championing plant-based recipes and sustaina… Read More
2022-02-01 19:00
Learning how to grow edible and medicinal mushrooms in your home garden is a great way to increase your household’s resilience, enhance your garden’s soil – and make your t… Read More
2022-01-23 19:00
Community and caregiving can take many forms, in these crazy days. There are big actions and small ones, public and private actions – and all of them important. Recently I’ve sta… Read More
2021-12-19 22:48
Holiday time is almost here – huzzah! We’re so ready to chill out, potter here and there, cook, swim and generally laze about, taking in the season. Maybe we’ll also have t… Read More
2021-12-06 01:02
Growing food while living in a rental or small space often means using pots, but you don’t necessarily need to buy unsustainable plastic bags of potting mix. You can totally grow your… Read More
2021-11-22 23:11
Ready to learn to pickle? We’ll get you started with our favourite bomb-proof pickling and lacto-fermentation methods – using whatever veggies you’ve got (in your garden OR… Read More
2021-11-16 22:21
It’s Mini-workshop time, lovelies! Ready to learn to pickle? We’ll get you started with our favourite bomb-proof methods – using whatever veggies you’ve got (in y… Read More
2021-11-08 02:17
We’re pretty chuffed to be celebrating a big milestone! There are 20,000+ copies of Milkwood – Real Skills for Down to Earth Living in the bookshelves, laps, ebook readers, kitch… Read More
2021-10-17 22:51
How much do you know about the lifecycle of fungi? You share 55% of your DNA with them, so you’re basically family. And did you know that fungi are not plants, and they’re no… Read More
2021-09-22 05:42
Learning about your garden’s soil – what it actually is, and how to improve it to create a nourishing foundation or your garden – is an excellent way to increase your house… Read More
2021-09-20 04:00
This week we’ve called in the wisdom of Keitha Thuy Young, who is a South Australian farmer and folk herbalist, to show you how easy it can be to get your own home herbal medicine… Read More
2021-09-13 03:32
Hey team, we have another free online workshop coming up for you! And this one’s all about the wonder and life beneath our feet, that we all depend on every day – soil.
Learni… Read More
2021-08-29 23:18
In a little mountain community in northeast New South Wales (Australia), a new community garden has sprung up these past few months – complete with a specially designed seat that&r… Read More
2021-08-15 04:13
Time to share our new project! After years of journeying through family farms, rooftop community gardens, and a lot of rental permaculture… we’re finally putting down some roots… Read More
2021-08-02 02:09
Always wanted to try growing mushrooms at your place – delicious and medicinal varieties – using sustainable, low-waste techniques? Downloadable this free ‘getting star… Read More
2021-07-19 01:24
Hey there lovelies, big news today – our new online course, Home Mushroom Cultivation is officially up and out into the world!
We’ve been quietly working on this super-compreh… Read More
2021-06-23 06:24
Harvesting rainwater is an excellent strategy to increase your household’s resilience, and it’s available to (nearly) everyone. Got a sky, that rains sometimes? Well, you can… Read More
2021-06-16 06:36
Hey team! We have a free online workshop for you coming up – it’s all about strategies, ideas and hacks for getting started with rainwater harvesting at home (even if you&rsq… Read More
2021-06-11 02:03
Here’s an ace new resource to help wrap your head around the principles of permaculture – 12 illustrated designs created by Mirranda Burton, an artist who took part in our on… Read More
2021-05-30 21:53
Grant Bailey was just 22 when a serious workplace accident in 2008 dramatically changed his life. His spinal cord was so badly injured that Grant permanently lost the use of his left leg… Read More
2021-05-04 02:29
Whether you’re heading into winter or summer in your part of the world, now could well be the perfect time to consider fruit tree pruning at your place.
Pruning at just the righ… Read More
2021-04-27 20:00
Tis the season to brine olives! Or salt them, if you prefer. Whether you’ve grown them yourself or foraged them from bird-sown trees, it’s late Autumn that you… Read More
2021-03-22 19:30
Hey all – we’re hosting an excellent and also FREE online Mini Masterclass this Friday, and we would love you to join us? It’s all about what you can do, right now, to star… Read More
2021-03-12 03:23
The power of green!Whether you have a small veggie patch or an expansive forest garden, adding green manures is a great way to replenish or build soils with minimal input.
Thanks to natur… Read More
2021-03-05 01:50
Imagine a colourfully painted urban laneway brimming with veggie plots and produce tables – where anyone can swing past to give or take whatever they wish, completely free of charg… Read More
2021-03-01 04:48
Starting or renovating a worm farm is a great way to use and value your own renewable resources, in the form of food waste. By the time you’re done, you will be turning your food s… Read More
2021-01-17 23:21
Sharing veggies with neighbours via an honesty stall plonked out the front of your place is an amazing way to build community connection and local resilience – and it’s reall… Read More
2020-12-13 23:24
Hey there, holidays! Whew, are we glad to see YOU this year. And now that we have a little more time – wondering what to make or brew, this end of year? Here’s a bunch of delicio… Read More
2020-11-30 22:38
Keen to do some awesome and meaningful gifting this holiday season? Come on in, friend – we’ve got you covered. With our Permaculture Living course, books, calendars and more… Read More
2020-11-15 21:14
Radical hope is also about preparedness, so we’ve gathered together some excellent bushfire readiness resources for you – to read and use in this cooler, wetter La Niña ye… Read More
2020-11-02 21:19
Up in the Blue Mountains, about an hour west of Sydney (Australia), a group of young farmers are growing truckloads of rich organic produce – all on donated land.
They’re… Read More
2020-10-12 05:44
Using edges and valuing the marginal is a core permaculture principle – so who better to explore it with than David Holmgren, co-originator of permaculture! Plus, to help you start put… Read More
2020-09-14 23:02
Heya lovely readers, guess what? Our last intake of 2020 for Permaculture Living is currently OPEN for bookings, until this Friday at 5pm. So if you’ve been planning to join us for a… Read More
2020-08-28 05:10
If you have a garden, or are thinking of starting one, keeping a regular diary where you jot down all manner of observations can be absolutely invaluable.
It’s the perfect place to… Read More
2020-08-12 20:01
Thinking of getting chickens? Watch + read this first! Our beginner’s guide to keeping happy and healthy chooks, plus a downloadable checklist, will get you asking all the ‘good… Read More
2020-07-01 23:59
It’s Plastic Free July! Are you up for a 5 day no-waste challenge, focussing on single use plastics? Of course you are! Here’s how to get started…
Before we begin, a wo… Read More
2020-06-15 23:17
You might not think it, but one excellent way to ‘obtain a yield’ is to give out first, and then receive. In this everyday action, we invite you to work on discovering what you h… Read More
2020-05-31 20:00
Ready to learn the way of the mushroom? Here’s a How-To for growing mushrooms in buckets at your place! Plus a beginner’s guide to fungi ID.
Fungi are an entirely separate kin… Read More
2020-05-17 20:00
For a resilient garden, diversity is key. But diversity is not just about planting different kinds of veggies!
You really want to encourage diverse garden visitors to you as well –… Read More
2020-05-10 20:00
Can we stop for a minute, and talk about single-use packaging? Yes, I know, you’ve got a lot going on right now. BUT how about the idea of cultivating a new small habit… in seei… Read More
2020-05-03 22:49
Four mini-greenhouse examples, from our book ‘Milkwood’ (in the tomato chapter) – illustration by Brenna Quinlan.No matter if you’re gardening on a tiny patio or an a… Read More
2020-04-25 23:43
Feeling the need for seed? You too can become a seed saver! The basics are easy to learn, and creating a home seed bank is a great way to increase your household’s resilience -while pr… Read More
2020-04-05 20:18
All hail hawthorn! The medicine is all around us. Here’s how to forage and use Hawthorn for heart and immunity care – such an excellent wild plant friend for us all.
Hawthorn… Read More
2020-04-01 19:52
Come and work with us!
We are currently hiring at Milkwood. We have two positions for which we are looking for truly excellent humans to work with us – a Course Manager and a Marke… Read More
2020-03-30 22:27
Are you starting a veggie patch right now? Take heart! 8 weeks ago, our backyard was just scruffy grass, with not a thing to eat. Now, it’s feeding our family daily. And yes, we’… Read More
2020-03-16 22:58
We’ve gathered some resources for home-based living for you, this week – recipes for helpful things to make and grow, ways to help your community, free home-learning portals, goo… Read More
2020-03-08 19:00
Growing your own nutritious sprouts and microgreens at home is super easy – you don’t even need a garden space. A kitchen bench will do just fine.
And the results? Fres… Read More
2020-03-01 19:00
Every product that we buy comes with an impact, especially the ones we buy regularly, and don’t really think about.
This everyday climate action is a challenge of observing and int… Read More
2020-02-26 01:19
‘What should we do in a crisis?’ is a question we get asked a lot, as permaculture educators. In light of the current situation/s, here’s a few thoughts to add to your mix… Read More
2020-02-23 19:00
This little challenge is subtle but powerful – how much do you know about the water that flows by where you live? How much do you know about where it comes from, and where it flows to?… Read More
2020-02-16 19:39
Here’s an everyday climate action for you that’s super easy, with big effects for both your health and for your carbon footprint, too. Learn to actively manage your house’s… Read More
2020-02-09 19:00
This everyday climate action is very simple, and you can start doing it today. Pay the rent. To the people upon whose traditional lands you live, work and benefit from, each and every day… Read More
2020-02-02 19:00
Dandelion, taproot and all…This everyday climate action for Permaculture Living 2020 is all about observing and interacting with your local neighbourhood and landscape – by obse… Read More
2020-01-28 01:38
Permaculture principles: 1-6 Need some effective thinking tools to get you started with permaculture living? The 12 permaculture principles, created by David Holmgren, are exactly that. Let… Read More
2020-01-20 00:42
Are you ready to make 2020 your year of action? Of everyday climate action, as well as the year that you gather the skills and habits you need to live a permaculture life – one that n… Read More
2019-11-26 03:48
Following on from our last post about climate ready communities, let’s look at some home-level strategies and ideas for radical hope. There are so very many to choose from!
Fir… Read More
2019-11-17 19:00
Well, here we all are. In the climate crisis we were all hoping to avoid. It’s time to muster your community, and get to work. Where do we start? With inspiring precedents, and wi… Read More
2019-10-06 19:00
When it comes to creating community and local food economies, local bread is one of the basics. And in the little town of Daylesford in regional Victoria, a micro-business called Two Fold B… Read More
2019-09-29 19:00
Well folks, here we go – our first online course, Permaculture Living, is finally out in the world. It feels like we’ve been working on this new course for EVER and we’re s… Read More
2019-08-18 20:00
So you want to grow your own organic food, and some for your community, too? We sit down with Olivier, half for the award-winning Living Earth Farm team AND the teacher of our Intro to Organ… Read More
2019-06-17 00:17
A little bit of news from us – we are moving to Tasmania! Off to the southern wilds…
We have been at Melliodora in central Victoria for three years now, and we have learned so… Read More
2019-06-03 23:45
In the wake of Australia’s recent election, many around us have been asking ‘what can we do now’? It’s time to research, act and organise as a community, my friends… Read More
2019-05-02 20:13
We have a new book! Easy Peasy: Gardening for Kids is a do-it-yourself book for small people to explore the natural world around them, and grow and eat it, too.
There’s projects for a… Read More
2019-02-21 19:01
If you forage just one thing from the wilds (or your backyard) each year, please let it be elderberry.
Free medicine, wine and dessert vinegar could all be yours. Such an incredible pla… Read More
2019-01-28 03:39
Keen to make 2019 the year you finally start keeping bees? Growing mushrooms? Begin your garden? Or maybe even take the plunge and turn your love of gardening into a livelihood? Here you go… Read More
2019-01-07 23:58
Looking for something to do these holidays? Why not get to know your local seaweeds and the ecosystems that they live in!
With our free kids seaweed guide – from us, to you.
Thi… Read More
2018-12-17 04:40
Looking back, I obviously should have gathered a lot more seaweed last winter – to feed the curious, the enthused and the yet-to be convinced who all came to our many book talks in sp… Read More
2018-11-25 19:00
It’s elderflower season, finally! The gullies + back lanes around our town are awash with their splashes of lacy whiteness, and all the goodness they bring. Starting with wild elderfl… Read More
2018-11-18 22:29
Beeswax is one of our favourite gifts from the hive – and perfect for making your own beeswax wraps. At this gifting time of year, no-waste, home made presents make all the sense in t… Read More
2018-11-06 05:17
The food is all around us. It’s under our feet, along the path edges and next to the highway. It’s in the sand dunes, all over our favourite park and down nearly every back lane… Read More
2018-10-11 00:01
Growing great tomatoes is a skill available to just about anyone. But there are a few tricks to getting things right, including the planting out stage. So grab your tomato seedlings, sit do… Read More
2018-09-30 00:30
Chapter three in Milkwood is all about Natural Beekeeping, and how you can use a principles-based approach to keep bees at home, safe and well, in a range of hive designs.
But why natu… Read More
2018-09-18 01:19
Wildwood tea is, in its essence, as individual and as unique as each household that makes it. It’s an expression of place, in a teapot. A warm hug, from the woods where you live &ndas&helli…Read More
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