A woman stopped me in the middle of my local town today. She profusely thanked me for inspiring her and lifting her spirits over 20 years ago.

I was living in Brisbane then and starting the Northey Street City Farm. At the time, she was young and homeless, and getting into trouble. A social worker had brought her to volunteer at the city farm and in doing so she found her passion and purpose. She told me that she had loved what I shared with her about community gardening, no-dig gardening and permaculture – it transformed her life.

Ever since we met decades ago, she said she has been gardening and passing on the gift around the world – particularly working with poor remote villages throughout south east Asia. There was the sparkle of purpose in her eyes  – the kind of twinkle you see when you know someone loves what they do.

My kids were with me, listening to her telling me how I was responsible for turning her life around. They looked so proud. I try to share with them the idea that everything they do counts and has an impact – so make it a good one. The power of them witnessing someone sharing the impact of positive action, is a far more profound lesson than me telling them to ‘choose to make a positive impact’.

I thanked the woman profusely in return for sharing her journey with me. It’s not often that I actually see the deep impact of my work – beyond the initial responses from workshop participants. This type of heartfelt feedback gives me renewed excitement in what I do and a new layer of meaning.

Such an encounter, is also a reminder to keep sharing my knowledge and passion freely – the power of good ideas comes from them rippling out rather than being held tight.

Teaching people how to simply and affordably create a abundant and sustainable food gardens is what I love to do.

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The kids find amazing ways to entertain themselves – exploring – inventing games – creating worlds. It’s so wonderful to watch.

Evan and I cool down with the kids, then while they are involved in their explorations we find moments to explore our work plans and new ideas. Being out in the fresh air, with just the sounds of the river, the birds, and children’s chatter is such a conducive space for creative thinking, new ideas and fresh perspectives.

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Welcoming the year 9 geography students to the Sustainable Food Systems field trip.

Bringing these kids out of the classroom and immersing them in nature and permaculture for even just a day had a huge impact. They got hands-on in an organic market garden, explored a sustainable bamboo farm, paddled in the cool waters of a pristine creek, were invited into a  permaculture home and garden and engaged in deep discussion about sustainable and community food systems.

Students visit our ecohome during there permaculture home garden tour.

The teachers couldn’t believe how focussed, calm and involved even the ‘challenging’ students were.  It was no surprise to us, we see it all the time.

Students explore the components of a sustainable food system.

Evan and I have hosted school groups here for 17 years, from primary school to year 12. Our work, examples and approach particularly supports the geography curriculum.

School camp and tour seasons are a highlight of our teaching year, and of our kids. They help us set up, lead the sessions and sometimes join in as participants.

Our daughter loves the high school group visits.

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My son leading the seedling activity at the Real Food Festival 2015

I love too that I can take my kids to work. They are my trainee teachers and workshop assistants. It constantly amazes me how much they know, how willing they are to share it and how confident they are to speak in front of large groups of teenagers and adults – I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have said ‘boo’ at that age!

I also mentor the children at the local school to do presentations about their kitchen garden. They are so articulate because they love the garden and are deeply connected to it by being involved in the design, garden making, planting, harvesting cooking, composting, chicken care, worm care and more …,

Introducing the combined hinterland Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Kids at the Real Food Festival 2015

Most weeks I run at least one workshop, sometimes several. This week has been a busy and productive one:

• a weekend  Introduction to Permaculture workshop at Northey Street City Farm
• an sustainable soils workshop at the Maleny Neighbourhood Centre (part of a 4 part program sponsored by the Sunshine Coast Council).
• a sensory garden design session at the University of the Sunshine Coast
• a personalised tour of my permaculture garden for local and overseas visitors
• a stall at the local community market 

Teaching permaculture at the Moving Feast garden at the University of Sunshine Coast.

In a way I fell into this work by following my interests and passions in life, and by doing things that I believed in – that fitted with my ethics and values. I just started doing things that fascinated me and felt meaningful.  Along the way, I have actively learnt from others and openly shared sharing what I knew. Before I knew it, people were asking me to teach and help to design.

The variety is great – some days I am helping to create an edible education garden at the local university with a range of faculties, other days I am leading Nature Kids programs based here at the ecovillage.  I regularly work with children in school gardens, kindergartens and libraries, and also arrange senior school permaculture school camps and senior school field trips. Individuals and professional groups come for personalised guided tours of our garden and ecovillage. And, the regional council commissions me to lead permaculture gardening sessions at neighbourhood centres to help people learn how to grow abundant food – to help support a healthy and food secure community.

A few years back, I led a Food Politics course at Griffith University. Even then. I couldn’t resist weaving some practical permaculture into my sessions. I would begin each lecture with an exploration of a perennial permaculture plant and how it can contribute to an ecological agricultural approach and good health. I invited students to take cuttings home and plant them. At the end of the semester so many students came in early to ask me more questions about permaculture and to tell me how wonderfully their gardens were now growing. The end of semester celebration was a visit to my garden to harvest, cook and share a meal. I stay in touch with many of these students still!

Speaking at the Climate Change Conference at QUT

My permaculture focus wove itself through my university studies too. At landscape architecture school I designed edible landscapes (I think to the dismay of my teachers), and the focus of my masters of environmental education thesis was permaculture education.

My home life, my work, my family life, my recreation seem to all be interwoven with the multi-textured thread of permaculture.

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