Please arrive at 9.45am to register, as this is a sequential, guided program that starts at 10am.
Join us for an immersive experience as this guided tour takes you along the Gawler River/Kadlitpari, on The Food Forest boundary, where it cuts its way through the Adelaide Plain creating cliffs, flooded flats, red gum forests and waterholes. You’ll learn about the biodiversity borne by water and seeds in our dry environment as well as the human history of land-use along the river. The walk continues on the higher ground to reveal the rest of the property.
The seed for The Food Forest was planted in the early 1980s when Graham and Annemarie attended a Permaculture Design Course with Bill Mollison. Permaculture shaped the holistic design of the property and still influences decision making in all aspects of their lives.
Walking along the River, you’ll see the massive efforts of local people to restore the natural ecosystem destroyed by mining, and the introduction of exotic animals and prickly, poisonous plants. Thousands of native plants established by the community are spreading their seeds and naturalizing, into forests, hedges and clearings and indigenous wildlife is returning. You may well see the web-footed Rakali, bearded dragons, dragon flies, sacred kingfishers, tiny wrens, or different birds of prey; perhaps even a turtle.
Next to the river channel is The Food Forest, a certified organic farm and education centre, that produces vegetables, fruit, nuts and many other types of food and wine and relies on the beneficial birds and insects from the river corridor to control pests and runs educational programs on a variety of sustainability topics.
The farm walk will take you through the vegetable gardens, vineyards and orchards and demonstrates the integration of chickens, geese and mini-sheep to control weed and pasture growth in the orchards.
You will also be able to view passive solar designed buildings using strawbales, such as the extension to the heritage listed homestead, as well as water capture projects and smart irrigation techniques.
In summary, this walk highlights how permaculture design allows for the efficient flow of nutrient, water and energy cycles that underpin the abundance of The Food Forest. It provides a blueprint for community action and seeding hope, as well as great day out.
Please note that we welcome children to come along but they must be accompanied by an adult and need to be supervised at all times.
Cost: $25 (incl GST) + BF. Children under 12 free. No pets.
Sales of trees (pomegranates, figs & grapevines), wine and pistachios will be available at the end of the tour.
See our website for more Food Forest info: www.foodforest.com.au
We will email you closer to the event with more details.
Please note: Booking is essential! No tickets available at the gate.
