Category Archives: Australia

My adventures in Australia

Presenting: Permaculture Adventures Overseas

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For the first time ever, I have finally complied and will be presenting a series of slides and video of my permaculture adventures in foreign lands over the past two years.

Where does the next bridge lead?

Bamboo bridge on a permaculture farm in Northern Thailand

Next Saturday, August 17, I’ll be presenting a bit of a snapshot of the last two years of my life… From visiting permaculture projects on the island of Moloka`i, three months working with Geoff Lawton himself at the Permaculture Research Institute of Australia and nearly a year laying foundations for permaculture movements throughout SE Asia.

This is a completely free and open invitation I’m super excited to share with everyone! We’ll be projecting photos and video after the sun goes down so please show up on time to get the most out of this experience.

This event will be hosted through ape99 at the Permaculture Park in East Austin.
Please sign-up for the ape99 Permaculture Meetup group to RSVP and get more event details.

One lucky person who signs up and attends this event will receive a FREE PASS to the Introduction to Permaculture weekend that Daryl and I will be facilitating the weekend following. We’re also offering a $25 discount to those who sign up for the Permaculture Intro weekend through the Austin Permaculture Guild website.

Why take a Permaculture Introduction course?

Maybe you’ve already taken a full PDC so why take an Introduction to Permaculture Course? Well, each and every permaculture course is going to be different. Permaculture is such a broad subject that Geoff Lawton himself says “…the longer you do permaculture the more you realize what you DON’T know. By this logic,” he says, “Bill Mollison actually knows the least about permaculture because he’s been doing it the longest!” I think that is a great and very humbling way to look at what we are engaged in learning and sharing together.

Rice Harvest Time

Bagging up the season’s rice harvest at Rak Tamachat Permaculture, Central Thailand

No matter how long we’ve been doing permaculture we all still have so much to learn from each other. Taking a Permaculture course is an opportunity not just to refresh knowledge that you might have already encountered but to learn through another’s experience. New discoveries and best practices are being added to the permaculture nexus all the time.

Having traveled around the world learning from experts such as Geoff as well as cultures in areas of the world that are still much more connected to their indigenous knowledge and roots, I’m excited to teach and share what I’ve learned along the way and I’m also excited to invite you to share your experiences with Permaculture. We all have something to gain from working and learning together. As my good friend Daryl always says: “Permaculture is best played together.”

Re-Mineralizing Soils with Bio-Fertilizer

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Working with damaged soils can be a huge challenge. In the world we live in today, it’s hard to find soils that haven’t been damaged through agricultural or urban misuse. If you are one of those lucky few who stumbled on a piece of land that already had pristine, rich deep and loamy soils than rejoice because you need not read any further… Still here? Yea, thought so. Most of us in permaculture design are working with or at least, have started out with, damaged, desiccated, mineral depleted, lifeless soils. One way or another, we have been tasked with reviving our soils from generations of abuse. But how do we return the basic building blocks of life to the soil quickly and efficiently so that we can get on with the high yielding polycultures we keep dreaming about? Enter – Bio-Fertilizer!

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Out of the morning mist…

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Over the past nine weeks I’ve participated in the construction of an agricultural dam, a swale, a couple of terraces, a large urban garden, several compost piles, 1000 liters of compost tea, an aid proposal to a Nepalese orphanage, and 600 square meters of food forest. Aside from exploring a nearby rainforest, swimming in the ocean and the occasional night at the local pub… it’s been a non-stop permaculture marathon!

My mornings generally start around 5:30 am. I have no alarm clock… in fact, my means of telling time here are incredibly limited. Nature tells me when to rise, a bell rings when its time to eat or take a break and the end of the day comes when my eyelids are too heavy to stay open (usually fairly early… depending on how my day has been spent).

Imagine The Abundance – Urban Gardens

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Imagine, you’re perusing the Sunday paper, thumbing through various articles, world news, sports, opinion pieces… yea, we’ve all been there. What feelings arise for you as the images pass by your eyes? Article after article, world news and local… everything seems so dismal.

In disgust and with a freshly drained world view, you fold the paper up and drop it back down on the table. Just before you look away and try to forget the morning sorrow, a small advertisement catches your eye.

FREE GARDEN
DESIGN & INSTALL

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Interning on Zaytuna Farm

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Over the past three plus weeks myself and 15 other cohorts have been fully engaged in farm life. And, although there are several aspects of this lifestyle that you might expect out of a typical farm experience (i.e. milking goats, turning compost, planting veggies, etc…) this is far from a typical farm!

Leaning back

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Kicking off the adventures right, these last two weeks have felt the equivelent of a month’s worth of activity. Aside from not blogging on this page, here’s a little taste of what I’ve been up to since my last blog post:

The adventure officially kicked off on Saturday, July 30 with the most inspirational display of community love and togetherness. Yes, it was a party. To call it an epic party might even qualify as an understatement. It was beautiful in all regards and elevated my spirit beyond any previous frame of reference.

After the explosion of love that was the end of July, the first weeks of August have been a whirlwind of organization and development. Not entirely centered around the development of my personal upcoming adventures (fortunately, much of that organization is already in place) but rather the organization of Community Cultivators.

Somehow, I’ve successfully managed to occupy more of my time on this development than my 40+ hours a week at Wheatsville. As you can imagine, a lot can get done in a couple of weeks with full time project development. A key to the future will be figuring out a way to make this work a paid gig (or at the very least, a self-sustaining one).

Recognizing the community had reached an obvious inflection point, the consensus could be felt hovering in the air and floating on the breath of every conversation… it’s time to get organized!

One meeting, two meetings, committees, defined roles, events, a list of projects, timelines… Engagement, involvement, inspiration, encouragement, excitement! These are but a few of the happenings I’ve been blessed to witness over the past two weeks… and, above all else, the deep understanding that we’ve only barely begun to scratch the surface of potential with in this thing we call Community!

From reading this blog it’s easy to extrapolate that this is about all I do. Well, yea… but what else is there? Follow your passion! There is no time to waste on anything that doesn’t feed your spirit!

I feel incredibly fortunate to have found a community of people as passionate about life as I. But I didn’t find that by sitting around my living room in apathy. Bare your passion to the world. If you don’t find your community, Cultivate it!

Yes, it takes time and it takes commitment… the benefits are well worth your efforts!

And now, I set myself out to embark on an adventure that will carry this passion around the globe. Life is as much about cultivation as it is about exploration.

Until then, leaning out: giving the community the opportunity to find its own identity and build its own narrative.

Separating myself has to be one of the most challenging parts of this whole process. So many beautiful things on the horizon.

From a continent away I will look on and watch how we grow together even while separated by great distance.

Blah blah… none of this is what you came to this blog to read. You want to hear about my adventures. Well, stay tuned. The adventures have just begun.

32 days from Honolulu. 42 from Kona. 52 from Molokai. 59 from Australia. and 64 from complete permaculture immersion!

Next stop… Douglass, Texas?

The start of an endless summer?

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In terms of seasonal progression, the first day of summer is still about two weeks away but you wouldn’t know it by the weather in Central Texas! It’s hot and getting hotter and the reality of this endless summer is beginning to sink in.

Just as the high temperatures here in Austin start to wane, I’ll be headed to the southern hemisphere. If the Australian Spring is anything like the Springtime weather we get here in Texas than my summer will likely continue unabated.

From there, the hot summer winds seem to be blowing me in the direction of Thailand. I’ve already bought a ticket, and, to satisfy the terms of my ETA (similar to a visa) I have to leave Australia by mid-February… Just when things will surely begin cooling down… on to the heat of Southeast Asia!

Who planned this trip anyway? Endless summer… what was I thinking?!

I was probably thinking, “Opportunity of a lifetime. See the world. Practice permaculture. Share abundance.” The logistical details of seasonal relief had obviously escaped me. Or, the excitement of these unbelievable opportunities overrode my sense for climate comfort.

Thanks to the amazing support of friends and family, I have the feeling all this summer heat is going to feel like a nice cool breeze. The generous folks at Eagles Nest Outfitters, for example, have set me up with some great gear to help me weather the elements. What better way to spend a year of summer than hanging out in a sweet hammock? How about hanging out in a sweet hammock with a rainfly and mosquito net?

In addition, I want to again thank all the people in my life who have contributed, in one form or another, to this epic adventure. Because of your love and support I’m seeing a whole world of opportunities opening up in front of me, the abundances of which I have every intention of sharing with you all!

My deepest thanks!

Plans beginning to take shape

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Time is compressing down on this long awaited adventure. Only a matter of mere months now. It’s challenging to even relate all the little details. So many moving pieces, so many beautiful new connections, so many inspiring new inspirations. With all that’s happening, it’s sometimes difficult to maintain focus on all the ducks that I’m trying to corral into neat little rows.

Over the course of the next three and a half months I’ll be handing my role as Stocking Supervisor at Wheatsville Co-op over to a new set of hands. With any luck, this new person will be able to take the position (and the co-op) to places I’ve not even considered. Already the position is rapidly evolving into one that will be much more effective for my predecessor. I’ve taken a lot of pride in my work there and it’s important for me to continue to see it progress and improve, even when I’m not at the helm. 
Even as I’m planning an effective exit strategy at Wheatsville, I’m working to insure Community Cultivators has a solid foundation and leadership to continue growing and making a difference. The variables involved in those two things alone are enough to take up all my energy and then some. Somehow, I’ve still managed to make time to enjoy my life. In fact, I think I enjoy it now more than ever!
I’m not sure how exactly I’ve found the time to maintain two blogs in the midst of all this, either. One thing I do know is that I’ve hardly seen my house in weeks!! It’s mostly a place were I go to sleep at night and brush my teeth in the morning. why I’m spending so much money on something I could get at a free camp site I’ll never know.
Once the next three and a half months are up, I’ll have only a month and a half to get my stuff together before I embark on this crazy adventure. During that final month and a half there are several things that still need to happen. A trip to Douglas, Texas to visit my folks and store the few personal affects I’d like to retain is not least among them. A tour through Dallas and Houston will surely also be in the works for that short time.
On September 14th, two short days before my 31st birthday, I will board a plane to Honolulu, Hawaii. While there, I will spend much valuable time catching up with my cousin and aunt who I’ve not seen in several years. This is where I hope this blog will really start to take shape. The plan is to travel across the islands meeting new people and exploring the beautiful beaches of Hawaii. 
Oahu, Molokai, and the big island are all definite destinations for this leg of my journey. My aunt lives on the big island, in Kailua-Kona. I’m looking forward to checking out the lava fields and other sites I’ve been hearing about there. In Oahu, my cousin has a beautiful home (I’ve only seen in pictures) in Honolulu. The surf calls to me and, with any luck, you’ll see a picture or two of me riding the waves and climbing the mountains of Oahu.
My adventures in Hawaii will conclude, most appropriately, with a trip to the island of Molokai where I hope to meet up with Malia Akutagawa who heads up the Sust`aina ble Molokai network. Recently, Sust`aina ble Molokai Partnered with Permaculture Research Institute USA to develop a Molokai Permaculture Education Initiative. Check out this video that came out as a result of their hard work:
It’s a highly inspirational piece that I’m very excited to get the opportunity to visit first hand. I’ll do my best to document the progress their work has made on the landscape and share that with you here. 
Of course, there are plenty of things I’d like to get to do while I’m in Hawaii, and I’m sure there will be plenty of adventures of the spontaneous variety, but my time will be limited and the things I’ve listed here are about the only things important enough to me to have scripted.
After almost 20 days of island fun I start the grueling 22 hour flight that will take me to Brisbane, Australia. From there, I travel 3 hours inland to start my internship on Zaytuna Farm with the esteemed Permaculture Research Institute of Australia. 
The internship is a 10 week intensive that traverses five weeks of course work interspersed between five weeks of hands-on application. After completion of the internship, the real fun begins… and this is where I begin to show what your generous donations can do. 
After the internship I will venture into unknown territory. Although I am trying to establish some idea of where I’ll end up… I’m also hoping to leave this end of my trip somewhat open-ended. I’m sure opportunities will arise while I’m in Australia that are too appealing to pass up. The book is open and the pages yet to be written. Your generosity will help to carry me into unexplored lands. And, through this blog, you’ll have the opportunity to see the powerful influence a small donation can have on the lives of people who have very little.
Imagine, you could provide generations worth of food security to a whole community abroad with very little effort of your own accord. In return, I’ll show you techniques and methods to achieve the same thing in your own back yard!
Thanks to all those who have donated already. It’s been very inspiring to witness the generosity of my family and friends!
My deepest appreciations,
Theron

Raising aid…

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For those of you that know me well, you know that it has long been my dream to be the most effective contributer to the cultivation of abundant livelihoods as I can be… If you didn’t know this about me, welcome to my vision! In pursuit of this dream, I have plotted a course that will take me to the other side of the world to engage and learn from some of the most accomplished experts on the subject. But my journey only begins there. Through my participation in the Permaculture Research Institute’s internship program at Zaytuna Farm in Australia this October, I’m looking to immerse myself in an established and proven system of “regenerative” design. And, although I see this model to be far beyond the simple idea of “sustainability”, it is only a single milestone in a long journey toward the realization of my vision.

Something you may also know about me is that I’m not really big on asking for handouts. Maybe it’s just the way I was raised but I think we each have a responsibility to earn our own way in life. In the same vein, I also recognize that, without the generous help of friends and family, I would hardly be where I am today!

It’s in this context that I ask for your help. And, as far as I can tell, there is truly no better reason to ask for help then to ask so that I might be better equipped in my mission to help others. Here’s what it’s about…

What it’s about:
I’ve set aside enough money for my modest living expenses and course fees while I’m in Australia. The plane tickets and transportation expenses are already paid for and I’m putting $2,000 in savings to cover my return trip as well as any emergencies I might encounter.

All these things are taken care of, all I’m missing is an opportunity to take my experience to the field… I mean, the real field! After a 10 week intensive permaculture internship, I want to take my new found permaculture skills to the people most in need (wherever they happen to be)!

…And that’s where you come in!

I’m officially starting a fundraiser on this site to ask for your help so that I might be better equipped to help others!

What it’s for:
The money raised through this site will allow me to spend at least 6 months after completing the internship doing permaculture aid work in one of several countries in need. To cover travel and living expenses for 6 months, I’m looking to raise at least $1,000, anything over that amount will go toward extending my aid work or reinvested into the community here, upon my return!

How it works:
Because I love you, I want to give back to you in the best way I can!

So, for every contribution over $50
I’m offering 2 hours of permaculture consultation.

Give $100 or more and get 5 hours on-site consultation!

All you have to do is click the ChipIn button bellow or at the right hand side of the page.

If you like, you can also contribute in a variety of other ways:
Send Cash or Cheque to
Theron Beaudreau
4605 1/2 Evans Ave
Austin Texas 78751

I will also be arranging a fundraising event that includes a yard sale, bake sale, and silent auction sometime this summer.

If you’d like to contribute but funds are tight, you can lovingly donate art, crafts or other items to the silent auction.

It is my personal promise to you that all proceeds received through this fundraiser will go directly toward supporting the vision stated above. If you have any questions or are interested in donating to the silent auction please contact me at theron AT communitycultivators DOT org

Your love and support is deeply appreciated ~!