Situated an hour’s drive east of Melbourne, Peppermint Ridge Farm, in Tynong, West Gippsland, is nestled in leafy foothills that overlook the Bunyip State Forest. Named for the endemic broad leaved peppermint gums (Eucalyptus dives) growing in the area, the gums are a good example of the multi-functionality of trees – a keynote of good permaculture design, of which this farm is a shining example.
Owners Anthony Hooper and Julie Weatherhead have blended their passion for sustainable agriculture and permaculture farm design with a dedication to landcare and the promotion of indigenous plantings. Now their very eco-friendly style of ‘indigenous permaculture’ is starting to pay off, as they are beginning to harvest and market native products.
Indigenous herb teas are being packaged up, lilly pilly jelly is made and peppermint gum oil distilled. This therapeutic essential oil is great in massage oil and they use it on the farm to combat sheep footrot and human tinea. It is a delightfully sweet smelling oil with a fruity aroma. The gums also provide stock shelter for the sheep, firewood and honey, as well as functioning as windbreaks, soil protectors and wildlife habitat.
Award winning property
Having purchased the property in 1984, the couple have gradually transformed the originally degraded, over-grazed paddocks into a productive and sustainable small mixed farming system. As well as the sheep, the farm has forestry, organic vegetable gardens and orchards, bush food plots, a vineyard and a few dozen free-range poultry; while regenerating bush and wetland areas are protected and enhanced. In 1997 Peppermint Ridge was a Small Rural Property award winner for the Port Phillip District, awarded by the state’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment. In 2000 it achieved an environmental management award from the local Cardinia Shire and Julie was also awarded the RIDDC Rural Woman’s award in recognition of her significant contribution to environmental management in Cardinia Shire.
“Our aim was to develop a permaculture farm where we could promote awareness amongst landholders and land managers of sustainable living and farming practices that are respectful of our wonderful indigenous flora and fauna. The integration of indigenous flora into agriculture is the main focus of Peppermint Ridge,” explained Julie, who, with Anthony, now provides accredited educational courses.
A whole farm plan had been initially prepared to identify sensitive areas on the property needing restoration, and areas suited to sustainable production systems. Permaculture design applied the principles of energy efficiency and the location of production zones relative to the level of human interaction required. In the words of Victoria’s Minister for Conservation and Land Management Marie Tehan, who presented their 1997 award -
“Through the sensitive development of their property, Peppermint Ridge Farm is a showcase for sustainable land management.” (The Gazette. Oct 8 1997)
Valuing indigenous species
Standard ‘permaculture plants’ were brought in and trialled, and depending on any rampancy encountered from the exotics, were either integrated into the system or removed. Tagasaste (tree lucerne) turned out to be a rampant weed, as it is in many other southern Australian areas. It has since been replaced by native she-oaks, which are also relished by sheep. These casurina species of trees, while not legumes, are also capable of fixing nitrogen, to a lesser degree.
Over five thousand mainly native trees have been planted around the 8 ha farm, mostly along water courses and fencelines, with large areas being returned to bushland. These areas will act as important wildlife corridors, connecting the State Forest and the local watercourse Cannibal Creek.
“Recent Australian university studies have shown” Anthony said “that pasture output is at its most productive when the proportion of a farm’s tree cover is at 34%. There’s also increased productivity when pastures include about 50% native grasses. (Australian Landcare magazine, April 1998, pg 48.) If all farms aimed for this balance- biodiversity loss would be pretty well halted and any environmental problems threatening the future of farming could be brought under control.”
The key is to select useful, indigenous or endemic species for agroforestry – this is known as ‘analogue forestry’. So at Peppermint Ridge seed has been collected locally of blackwood, silver wattle, peppermints, yellow and silver leaved stringybark, mountain grey and swamp gum. These are well adapted to local conditions and wildlife friendly.
“We plan to eventually phase out many of the exotic trees we first planted” Anthony explained. “There’s usually a native plant that can be found to fulfill the function of most exotics. Casurinas, for instance, make a good replacement for the tagasaste and are much hardier than it.”
At Peppermint Ridge the no-dig vegetable gardens are a colourful tumble of diversity. It is interesting to see ‘bushtucker’ plants that once sustained the local Koori (Aboriginal) population growing there. Exotic alpine strawberries, which were once actively planted in the vegetable garden, have since proved to have invasive weed potential in the area, with birds taking the fruit and spreading seed into the bush.
Successful Landcare
Looking out from the passive solar designed house that Anthony and Julie built from 30,000 second hand bricks and old timber items, is a vista of regenerating wetland around Cannibal Creek. Julie is passionate about creek bank protection and is a member of the Westernport Catchment Implementation Committee. She is mindful of the far reaching benefits of this. “Improved water quality will encourage the growth of sea grasses downstream in Port Phillip Bay. These important fish habitat areas have long been on the decline.” Julie enthused.
The couple founded Cannibal Creek Landcare group and now most landholders along the creek are members. They have been busily fencing around waterways and remnant bushland and planting trees on each others’ properties in a wonderfully co-operative spirit. Working to link up remnant vegetation with green corridors, everyone is generally in agreement with the principles involved, so it’s easy to get motivated groups going. Everyone is very excited about the momentum that has built and the potential for whole creekways to be enhanced.
The groups are also monitoring rising soil salinity (and are to develop a soil salinity demonstration site beside the highway) and are planting back wildlife habitat plants for endangered fauna species, some of which are being brought in from other areas to reinhabit the region. Most weekends there are working parties and the percentage of landholder participation is very large.
Julie has been working for Cardinia Shire as the Biodiversity Officer. She inspects properties which apply for National Heritage Trust grants seeking subsidised fencing for threatened remnant vegetation areas and free trees. She is also employed for a day and a half a week as facilitator for the Bunyip Catchment Landcare Project, a partnership of seven local landcare groups, and both she and Anthony have dynamically assisted the local landcare movement in its rapid evolution.
Strengthening networks
Anthony had a vision of strengthening the local landcare group networks through grass roots co-ooperative planning and action, and the minimisation of administrative energy losses. An umbrella group could do the unpopular paperwork required to keep legally accountable and to obtain government grants. He was also keen to see an absence of sponsorship from herbicide companies.
In 1997 a coalition of community environment groups was formed – the Cardinia Environment Coalition, which aimed to assist in environmental protection and care in the district, liase with the relevant authorities on these matters, to educate the community, provide umbrella support for sub-groups and administer funding grants.
This unique organisation currently represents over 20 local community groups which are working to protect both public land of environmental significance (friends groups) and private land (landcare groups). Most areas of the Shire are represented in the Coalition. It is forging close links to the local Shire Council and has been lately training up a volunteer team for water monitoring in the district. There are plans to have a shop front – space for office, displays and meetings – in the old council chambers that is being relocated to the Princes Highway, to be shared with the local historical society.
The Bunyip Catchment Landcare project is a sub-committee of CEC, now powering in its third year of operation. As well as Julie providing farmers with advice and assistance for dealing with weeds and land management issues, the fencing of creekbanks and indigenous vegetation has been a priority for the project, with over 50kms fenced, as well as 30,000 trees planted in the past year. This year it aims for similar achievements, with expected funding of over $250,000. The project has been rewarded for its mammoth efforts with a nomination for the National Rivercare Award.
The Education Centre
Julie and Anthony both come from adult education backgrounds. Anthony has also been a social worker and tutor of community development courses, while Julie also has a science background and has worked for the government on salinity education for farmers in northern Victoria.
In 1994 they had begun to offer short courses on sustainable living and farming. People can come to Peppermint Ridge for a half day ‘Bushfood Experience’, touring gardens, discovering bush tucker plants and learning how to grow and eat them. Other practical workshops on offer focus on designing windbreaks, organic vegetable growing, small property management and horses and land management.
In 1997 when the NarNarGoon North Primary School building was about to be demolished they saw a golden opportunity for some recycling and heritage conservation, so the 1920′s building was relocated to Peppermint Ridge to become their education centre.
Gama-dji Education and Community Development is the name of their registered training organisation, which now delivers the nationally accredited and recognised Diploma in Landcare and Natural Resources course. There are no special pre-requisites for the course, which is offered flexibly, combining home based study with intensive weekend workshops at the farm.
In October 2001 another milestone has been reached, with, for the first time outside of the TAFE system, a certificate four level organic farming course being offered. Written by Liz Clay, the 450 hour course originated at Orange TAFE in NSW. It links across to the landcare course and they are trying to get members of green organisations interested. The first modules on offer in October will be soil health assessment, conversion to organic farming, plant propagation and sustainable land use.
Gama-dji is a Wirrundjeri word meaning to awaken, as if from sleep. “We believe that this term represents the change needed in our land management practices. For us, education is a powerful tool for change, provided it is relevant and challenging. As experienced adult educators we are committed to delivering high quality education and training to people passionate about landcare and sustainable land management,” says the couple.
For more information contact Peppermint Ridge on 03 5942 8580, email prf@sympac.com.au
About the author: Alanna Moore is an environmental journalist and author living in central Victoria. She has a website at www.geomantica.com and can be emailed at: info@geomantica.com
© Alanna Moore. This article was first published in Green Connections magazine (Australia) around 1998.